


The Cruelty Of The Past

by Eveilwoman



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Forced Marriage, Harry Potter Bashing, May/December Relationship, Not Epilogue Compliant, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 50,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26437561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eveilwoman/pseuds/Eveilwoman
Summary: A cursed betrothal leaves Ginny with two choices marry a Malfoy and spend the rest of her life with him or watch both families die out.
Relationships: Lucius Malfoy/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 25
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**I don't not own the world of Harry Potter, I only wish I did!**

**The Cruelty of the Past**

**Chapter One**

**Birthday**

Ginny Weasley's eyelids fluttered open as the thought that it was morning ran through her head, but she was not ready to get out of bed just yet. She thought about going back to sleep for a while longer. As she closed her eyes she realized that today was August eleventh and her seventeenth birthday! She was now an adult, free to do as she chose. Master of her own world! The only person she had to answer to now was herself. She remembered that later, around lunchtime, she would head to the Ministry and take the test to get her license to Apparate. Then later that evening, her family would get together to celebrate. Yes, she still had a year of school left, but her course load would be light. She was hoping once school was finished to play Quidditch professionally, but if that didn't work out she thought about writing, perhaps becoming a serious journalist. The world was hers to take.

One year ago, it was not such a happy place; her world had been at war. But the war ended a few months back, and good won over evil. Ginny took a moment to reflect on the things that were discovered during and after the final battle. Severus Snape was not all evil and in fact acted very nobly. The Malfoy family had shown that family was more important to them than Tom Riddle's cause. Her brother Fred was gone. Ginny was doing her best to remember his smile and laughter. She knew he would not want them crying over him. Ginny also knew that Harry Potter, her boyfriend, was feeling like it was his fault that Fred and others had died. She understood his guilt, but she knew he had to work it out for himself. All she, and anyone else, could do was be there for him and let him know they did not hold him responsible for the deaths. She worried more about George; he was like a lost soul without Fred.

She realized, when the war first started, that it was unlikely her family would come out unscathed, but she hoped that the twins would both come out okay.

Ginny decided she was wasting the first day of the rest of her life thinking about the past. She removed the sheet that she was covered with and pulled herself out of bed. She walked over to the door, removed the terry towel robe that hung there and laid it on the bed. She then took off the sports bra and panties she had been sleeping in and pulled the robe around herself. Ginny opened the door and headed down the hall to the bathroom. As she turned on the shower she mused about the fact that the past couple of weeks had been very nice. Ron had started working at the joke shop with George, therefore he was gone early each morning. By the time she got up, everyone else except her mother was out of the house. This meant no fighting to get into the bathroom!

As she showered she thought about the coming school year. Her family was giving her the traditional gift for all girls in the Wizarding world; money to buy a whole new wardrobe for the year. This meant brand new school robes for her. With all the boys working and making their own way in the world, it was no longer a financial hardship on the family to only have one income. She looked forward to a school year without any brothers around, unless you counted Neville Longbottom; he was working this year as a teacher apprentice. Last year he had taken over the role of big brother for her. They had become very close as school had been a very scary place during her sixth year. She, Neville and Luna Lovegood now had a better understanding of the Golden Trio's closeness, bonding over the things they had to endure together. It would be a good year. Harry had already said he would come and meet her for all of her Hogsmeade visits. She smiled as she washed her hair and remembered him asking her if she wanted to date him again. He was more nervous about asking her than he had been about fighting Voldemort!

When she got back to her room she found a butter yellow, smart looking tank top and shorts set laying on her bed. This looked like something a woman would wear, not a girl. She guessed this was the start of her new wardrobe. She then pulled out a white bra and matching white panties and smiled. Life would most definitely be different. Once dressed, Ginny finally headed downstairs.

"Happy birthday, Ginny!" Molly said as she looked over her youngest child. "Oh, my baby's an adult now!"

Ginny could see the tears forming in her mother's eyes. "I may be an adult now, Mum, but I will always be your baby. Nothing will ever change that."

Molly smiled warmly at her. "Come on, you need something to eat. What would you like for breakfast?"

"Just some juice and an apple, Mum."

"Ginny! That's not the way to start the day," Molly gently scolded.

Ginny was not worried about her figure at all. She just hated to see her mother go all out for nothing. "Really, Mum, I'm just nervous about my test today," she fibbed

"Oh well, alright. Your father told me to tell you to come to his office once your test is done. He wants to take you to lunch this afternoon."

"Why? I mean, he never did that with the boys, did he?"

Molly grabbed her cup of tea and sat down across the table from her only daughter. "Ginny, you're his little girl and you will always be different from the boys. So, do you like the outfit? It does look very nice on you."

"Yes, Mum, it's very nice."

"I spoke to Hermione and Luna; they will meet you after lunch with your father. Then you can go shopping for your new stuff. Just remember you're shopping for clothing for an adult to wear."

Ginny smiled at her mother. "Right, Mum. Only smart clothing."

"Yes, and make sure you get yourself at least a couple of outfits for evening engagements. A black dress is always a good place to start, and remember; you are a respectable witch."

Some days Ginny believed her mother thought she had no sense at all. "Well, Mum, I'm going to finish getting ready and then head to the Ministry."

Two hours later, Ginny stood in a washroom at the Ministry for Magic checking herself over. She had just passed her Apparition test without any problems. She had to admit she felt older; she most certainly looked more mature in the summer outfit her mother had given her. And unlike many other girls her age, Ginny did not wear much make-up, preferring a more peaches and cream complexion. She only wore some light eyeliner, mascara, and some clear lip gloss. As she finished washing her hands she checked her watch; it was close enough to lunch to head to her father's small office. She pulled the door open and stepped into the hall, but at that second her small frame was hit by a large, very solid frame. The impact temporarily knocked the wind out of her, and as she looked to see who had run into her she was shocked to see Lucius Malfoy. "I'm sorry," he muttered and continued in the direction he had been going. _What, no sarcastic comments? And he said, "I'm sorry?" Maybe having found out he was not as important to Tom as he believed brought him down off his high horse,_ she thought _._ She finished making her way to her father's office and lightly knocked on the open door.

Arthur looked up from the report he was working on. "Ginny! Happy Birthday!" He rose and came around his desk to kiss Ginny's cheek. "You look beautiful."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Daddy. Are you ready to go to lunch?"

"Yes, but tell me: how did your test go?"

"I passed, no problem."

"Good! I'm glad. So what would you like for lunch?"

"Something light. I saw the cake Mum's working on and I don't want to think about the weight I'll put on before it's finished! I swear, you would think she's got the whole Wizarding community coming tonight. I don't think Bill's wedding cake was as big!"

"Now Ginny, you have to understand that you're very special to your mother. She has always felt bad that you had to – um, not have the advantages other witches have had. Now that things are calmer, she's just trying to make it up to you."

"Daddy, you and Mum gave me more love and caring that anyone else I know. Sure my books and robes were not the best, but they were given with love. I could not have asked for more... well, maybe a couple of brothers who weren't so protective. But you and Mum can't control the boys."

Arthur smiled at his daughter. "Come on, dear." As they headed out into the hallway, they ran into Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Kingsley, I thought you were in conference with Lucius Malfoy all day today," Arthur greeted.

"That will be on hold for a few days. Lucius' wife was just found dead."

"That explains it," Ginny commented.

"What?" Arthur asked Ginny.

"We, Mr. Malfoy and I, literally ran into each other in the hall right before I got here. He said he was sorry. I thought it was a little odd."

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked, concern clear in his voice.

"Yes, it was just an accident," she assured her father.

"Well, excuse us, Kingsley. I'm taking Ginny for a birthday lunch."

Kingsley's eyes fell on Ginny. "Yes, you're seventeen now, right?"

"That's right," she replied.

He reached down, took hold of her hand, and placed a kiss on top of it. "Happy Birthday," he said warmly. As he released her hand, he looked at Arthur. "The men will be breaking down your door now, Arthur."

"Don't I know it. But I think the fact that Ginny and Harry are a couple should help."

"Well, I will let you get on with your lunch, Arthur. Miss Weasley, good day."

Ginny and the other girls stopped at a café for something to drink when Hermione asked, "Ginny, I don't mean to offend you, but you've spent a lot of gold today. How are your parents affording this?"

Luna laughed. "Hermione, you still don't understand, Pure blood families believe that sons are to go out and get a job to make their own way when they are of age, while daughters are cared for until they marry. Most regular Pure blood families start putting money away for their daughters the minute they're born. The money remains untouched until they come of age."

"Yes, and Mum and Dad are no different. I know they've added to the fund over the years and that Mum has put away at least half of any birthday money I ever received just for today," Ginny explained.

"So it's like Muggles saving for their children's college educations," Hermione summed up.

"Pretty much. I'm sure that my Great Aunt Tessie added a fair amount, too. It goes back to the times of having dowries. Parents are setting up their daughters to start life."

Hours later, Ginny, Luna and Hermione returned to the Burrow. Hermione had convinced Ginny to buy only robes on Diagon Alley and then head to the Muggle shops of London for the rest of her stuff. The exchange rate was very good for wizards and therefore Ginny's money would go farther. The girls returned with their arms heavy with packages, laughing and in good spirits. They planned on getting ready for the party that evening at the Burrow. When Hermione was in the bathroom and Luna was making room in Ginny's closet, a Ministry owl swooped into the room and dropped a letter in Ginny's lap. The address read, ' Miss Ginevra Weasley. Smallest Bedroom. The Burrow.' Inside it read:

_This letter is to inform you, Miss Ginevra Weasley, of a betrothal that has been on the books for eight generations. The betrothal states that the next born Weasley girl will wed the first unmarried Malfoy male that is under the age of fifty. From the day the said female Weasley is born until this marriage has taken place and the couple is expecting their first child, neither family will produce any offspring. Thank you for your attention in this matter._

_Alfred Jefferson_


	2. Surprises

**Chapter Two**

**Surprises**

Ginny laughed at the note; it must be one of Fred and George's pranks. Well, she wasn't going to fall for it, but she had to give them points for trying. They must have come up with this one awhile back; it had the markings of Fred all over it. "Thanks for the laugh, big brother," she said, more to herself than anyone else. As she thought about it, it was really very kind that he left her with this as her final memory of him. She decided at that moment not to mention this to anyone, at least for tonight. Her parents seemed more excited about her birthday than she was. She did not want to bring up bad memories for them tonight. It would be hard enough without Fred there as this was the first family celebration since his passing. She took the letter and placed it in her top dresser drawer.

Elsewhere in the house, Harry was having a private talk with Mr. Weasley. "Harry, you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, sir. First off I want to thank you for making me part of your family."

"Harry, you don't need to thank us. Look at the fact that you saved most of my children, and myself. I feel we should be thanking you." Mr. Weasley patted him on the back.

"No sir, that's not necessary. But there is one other thing I wanted. Sir, I'm not really sure how it's done in the Wizarding world, so please forgive me if I make a mistake here. Um, sir, I'm here tonight to ask for your blessing in marrying Ginny."

Arthur always knew this day was coming, but he only had one daughter and he wanted to watch Harry squirm a little. "Now Harry, she is only seventeen..."

"I know that, sir, but I have learned that life is short and I don't want to waste time."

"I understand that, Harry. But before I can give you my blessing, I need to know-"

Harry looked very nervous. "Sir, I love Ginny with all my heart. I promise you she will never doubt my feelings for her." The poor kid looked like he was about to explode.

"Harry, Ginny is still very young-" Okay, he played with Harry long enough. "Relax, Harry. I know you love her. You do have my blessing, but I do ask that you wait for the wedding until after she finishes school. The last thing a girl her age needs is to be married and still in school, or worse; pregnant."

"But do you mind if I ask her tonight?"

"No, I don't mind, but Harry, you are like one of my own sons so I would like to offer you some advice.

First off - If you're going to ask her tonight, do it in private. The last thing you want is Ron making some comment and ruining the moment. And the second things is- once you're married, give yourselves at least a couple of years to be a couple before starting a family."

"Yes, sir. And thank you!"

"Harry, one more thing- I think at this point it would be fine if you stopped with the sir and Mr. Weasley. Arthur or Dad is just fine."

"No problem, but I'll wait until after I ask Ginny. I wouldn't want her to think something was up."

Later that evening Ginny unwrapped presents with all her family around. Her parents had given her a small diamond solitaire necklace, Ron and Hermione bought her a couple of books on journalism, George got her a bracelet that matched the necklace her parents got her, Percy bought her a new cauldron that had the correct level of thickness, Charlie gave her a pair of very ladylike dragonskin gloves, and Bill and Fleur got her an adult jewelry box which contained several pairs of earrings, some for fun and some more serious.

After all her gifts were opened, Bill spoke, "Fleur and I would just like to let everyone know we have decided it's time to quiet Mum. We will be working on having a baby."

The way he said it caused laughter to erupt from around the table with the exception, at first, of Molly who had been asking about a baby a week after their wedding.

Harry leaned over and whispered to Ginny, "Come for a bit of a walk with me." Ginny smiled and rose. Harry took her hand and led her away from the others and towards the trees.

As they walked, Ginny smiled at him. "How long do you think it will be before Ron and Hermione get married?"

"I'm not really sure, but I know he can get pretty jealous, so I don't think he'll wait along. Look Ginny, I don't know if I told you how much time I spent thinking about you while we were gone."

"Yes Harry, you told me a couple of times."

"Good, because at times thoughts of you were the only things that kept me going. And I came to realize that my life will not be complete without you in it. Ginny Molly Weasley, I want you to marry me."

Ginny got a look on her face that showed utter surprise. "Oh Harry, I...I... I'm just seventeen! I ... I do love you, but that's just such a big step. I mean ...I love you, but I don't know if I'm ready to make such a big choice yet. But I don't want to lose you."

Harry smiled. "It's okay, Ginny. Look, it's fine that you're not ready yet. How about this, " He reached into his pocket, "I got this for you; it's your engagement ring. Why don't you wear in on your right hand until you're ready." He held out a diamond ring. "It's a copy of the ring my father gave my mum. Will you wear it on your right hand for now?"

Ginny smiled at him. "Thank you for being so understanding. Yes I will." She took the ring and slid it onto her right ring finger.

"Well, at least this way all the other blokes will know you're spoken for," he said sheepishly.

"Like they wouldn't miss that fact with you coming around the school all the time! Let's head back before my brothers begin to think you're out here trying to steal my virtue."

Harry took her hand in his. "Ginny, when you're ready, I want to be the one to move the ring from you right hand to your left."

As they got back to her party, Arthur looked at Harry expectantly. Harry dropped Ginny's hand and nodded to the side, indicating for Arthur to come with him. Arthur did follow and once they were out of earshot he asked, "Did something go wrong?"

"Yes – no, I guess not – she said she was not ready to make such a choice. But she did say she would wear the ring I gave her on her right hand, for now."

Arthur smiled at Harry. "She probably just needs more time. Harry, because of your life experience, you have matured much faster than most men your age. Ginny is still young and while you long for a calm normal life, she's looking at the world with excitement. I would guess the idea of being married and starting a family is not where she's at yet. I'm sure she wants to travel or at least to have some time to not have responsibilities. She may see marriage and children as one and the same. You know, at seventeen I'm sure she thinks romance dies the minute you're married." He knew all too well how hard it was to find moments to be just a couple when you had children.

When they returned to the others, Ginny was showing them all Harry's birthday gift to her.

The next morning when Ginny woke up, she grabbed the joke letter Fred had sent. It had to be all Fred, or George had totally forgotten about it. When she reached the bottom of the stairs both her parents were talking at the kitchen table. "Morning Dad, Mum," she said as she made her way into the room.

"Ginny dear, it looks like your Hogwarts letter arrived." Molly indicated to the envelope on the table.

"Thanks, Mum." Ginny grabbed the envelope and then sat down to open it. It read:

_Dear Miss Ginevra Weasley,_

_This letter is to inform you that Hogwarts will be reopening for the coming school year as of September the First. Enclosed you will find your book lists. As a seventh year, you are reminded that this is a very important year as you work towards your NEWTS. Also Miss Weasley, you will have the added responsibility of being Head Girl, a position that you have earned as you have displayed natural leadership capabilities, even if in the most unorthodox way. As Head Girl you will have your own room located so that any students or teachers can come to you. I have complete faith in you, Miss Weasley._

_Sincerely,_

_Headmistress Minerva McGonagall._

Ginny reread the letter out loud.

"Oh Ginny, I'm so proud of you!" Molly beamed.

"I completely agree with your mother, Ginny," Arthur said.

"Thank you. Dad, I wanted to show you this; it arrived yesterday. I think Fred had this planned for some time. I thought you might like to see it." She handed him the other letter and then watched as he read over it.

He read it three times, then asked, "Do you still have the envelope this arrived in?"

"Yes, it's up in my room," Ginny replied as she picked up the glass of milk her mother had placed in front of her.

"Go get it, now!" Ginny had rarely seen her father look so serious. She did as he asked without question, but she never would have thought it would have had this effect on him. As she made her way back down the stairs, she heard her father speaking;

"Molly, I will let you read this in a moment. I just need to check something."

"Here's the envelope, Daddy," Ginny said as she handed it to her father.

He read the address label, then folded the letter back and laid both on the table, touching, side by side. He then pulled out his wand and muttered a spell and on the two pieces, the letter and the envelope, there appeared the Ministry symbol. "You see that, Ginny?" He handed the letter to his wife. "This is no practical joke worked up by your brother. This is for real." His face was white.

"No! It can't be," Ginny said as she slipped into her chair.

Molly finished reading the letter, taking a full minute before speaking, "No Arthur, this must be a joke. If it were real, I'm sure we would have heard from the Malfoys. Narcissa, at the very least."

"Molly, if you read the paper this morning you would see Narcissa Malfoy was killed yesterday while riding at Malfoy Manor. Her horse threw her off and she died instantly. I'm sure that they're a little too preoccupied to be reading any owls."

"Daddy, no. I can't. Harry asked me to marry him last night," Ginny whispered.

"Ginny, relax. I'm sure once they are aware of this, they will contact us. Then we can all go before the Wizengamot and appeal this. I'm sure that Lucius will be as against this as we are," he surmised.

"But there's a chance that I will have to..."

"Ginny, you don't have to do anything," Molly interrupted.

"But if I don't, there will be no more babies born in the family!"

"It looks that way, but still, no one would expect you to forsake yourself just so they could have a child," Arthur tried to console her.

"How long do you think it will be until we hear from the Malfoys, Arthur?" Molly asked.

"I can't say. I do know that there was nothing suspicious about the death, so it's not as if we will have to wait for the Aurors. If we have not heard from them by three days after the funeral, then I will pay them a call."


	3. Everyone Finds Out

**Chapter Three**

**Everyone Finds Out**

Lucius Malfoy sat in his personal study, reflecting. The last five days had been difficult to say the least. His wife of twenty-five years was dead, unexpectedly. There had been a funeral to plan, and have, and now it was time to return to the business of living. He was going through his mail. There were a few invitations to parties, but in light of Narcissa's passing it would be in bad taste to accept any of these invites. Lucius was sorry his wife was gone. She had been a good friend and companion, and while they had fallen out of love many years back they still had remained faithful to their wedding vows.

He finally came across a letter on Ministry letterhead. He could not fathom what the fools at the Ministry wanted with him now. He had already given all kinds of information against men he once called friends. Of course, this had all been in an effort to remain a free man himself. His freedom was one more thing that his late wife had played a part in, and for that he was truly thankful. Once he opened the letter from the Ministry, he began to read:

_Mr. Lucius Malfoy:_

_This letter is to inform you of a marriage betrothal that has been in the Ministry books for eight generations._ _The time has come for the first unmarried Malfoy male under the age of fifty to marry one Ginevra Weasley, who turned seventeen on August 11, 1998. The betrothal is of a cursed nature in that if the marriage does not take place, neither family will have any offspring. This curse went into effect the minute she was born and will continue until a child has been conceived._

_Miss Weasley has already been informed._

_Thank you for your attention in this matter._

_Alfred Jefferson_

_Department of Magical Betrothals_

Lucius was hit by two revelations; one, Draco would hit the roof when he was told of this, and two, why hadn't Arthur Weasley shown up already? Was the family in that bad a financial state that they couldn't fight this and therefore force Draco to go through with it? Well, if that was the case Draco had better get used to the idea because the only chance to avoid this was either allow both families to die off or if the heads of both families rejected the idea. Once he read the letter a second time he decided to call Draco down to his study and get this over with.

When Draco entered the room Lucius said, "Draco, pour yourself a drink; you're going to need it."

Draco nodded and poured himself a Firewhiskey, then sat down across from his father. "Yes, Father?"

"Draco, this has been a hard week on you, and unfortunately it's about to get a whole lot worse." Lucius handed Draco the letter. He watched with great interest as Draco's eyes scanned the letter.

"Father, I can't..."

"Relax, Draco. I'm sure that Arthur Weasley will be wanting to reject the idea. And if he does not, I seem to remember that Miss Weasley was quite attractive. I don't believe it would be too much of a hardship having her in your bed."

"But Father, she's a blood traitor!"

"She may be that Draco, but in light of recent events some might call our family the same."

"No, Father. What we have done was in the interest of protecting our family."

Lucius looked at his son reassuringly. "It's all in how one looks at it. Now, before you start to worry I will Floo Arthur and see if there is any need to panic."

The last four days had been hell for Ginny. She and her parents had decided not to say anything to her brothers until they spoke to the Malfoys. Despite her father's reassurances, she was still really worried. To have the fate of her whole family in her hands was scary, to say the least.

She had realized that if she could not get out of this it would affect all of her brothers. Once word of the curse got out she was sure it would limit their options for marriage partners. After all, most witches would want a child of their own body. She knew Harry longed for a blood relative that he could be close to. In the end, he too would most likely end things with her over this.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized she only had one choice: to marry Draco Malfoy. Really, if she understood things right, all she had to do was marry him, have one child, and then the curse would be done with. Yes, she could do that. He might be an ass, but if the rumors were true he _was_ considered a sex god. Besides, he was as trapped as she was in this. If she refused, the Malfoy family would die out, too. Hopefully, he and she could come to an understanding.

Ginny had not told her parents she had come to terms with things. There was no reason to upset them, yet.

Arthur and Molly were sitting at their kitchen table when Lucius Malfoy's head popped into their fireplace. Lucius wore his most diplomatic expression. "Arthur Weasley?"

Arthur got up and made his way to the fireplace. "Lucius, I have been waiting to hear from you."

"Then you are aware of this ridiculous betrothal business?"

"Yes, we are."

"What is your intent with this?" Lucius inquired.

"I had hoped we would go before the Wizengamot and have it removed from the books," Arthur answered.

"For once we see eye to eye on something."

"I will check to see if we can get in this week. I will let you know when we can plead our case."

"That will have to do." Lucius then cut the connection.

Ginny was sitting in her room when Arthur called her downstairs. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she smiled at her father. "You wanted to see me, Daddy?"

Arthur smiled back at Ginny. "Yes, my dear. Have a seat." Ginny took a seat next to the head of the table where her father always sat.

"Lucius Malfoy Floo'ed here about ten minutes back. He and I are in agreement about this betrothal. I also spoke to the Wizengamot. We go before them on Monday afternoon."

"Dad, I want the truth: is there any chance that I will still have to marry Draco?"

"Ginny, there are no complete certainties in life, other than death. But I think you'll be fine."

"Daddy, if we're going before the Wizengamot, then anyone at the Ministry could hear about it, right?"

Arthur nodded. "Then I think we should tell the boys tonight. Percy might not overreact, but if Ron or Harry hear..."

"Yes, you're quite right. I'll Floo everyone for a family meeting."

Ginny spent the rest of her day helping her mother cook. Once the boys started to arrive she began to feel sick. She knew she was being irrational. They would all react the same way; stunned, shocked, telling her that everything would be fine, then making plans to kill Draco so she would not have to go through with it. When Harry came in with Ron, he walked over to Ginny and wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her temple. This was met by two reactions; the first was Ron commenting,

"Hey! You may be my best mate, but she's still my little sister!"

And the second was Ginny pulling away. She wondered how Harry would feel if he knew she was planning on marrying Draco if there was no way out of this. Thankfully, Harry thought Ginny was only pulling away because of Ron's comment. "Come with me for a bit?" Harry asked.

Ginny smiled sweetly at him. All she wanted to do was head off and have a good snog session, but felt if there was a chance she would have to marry Malfoy, then it was wrong to string Harry along. "I promised Mum I would help with dinner," she countered.

"Later?"

"Yeah, maybe. Um, Ron? I thought Hermione was coming too?" she said to change the subject fast.

"Yeah, she will be here shortly. Something about a cousin's baby shower."

A half hour later, Arthur called everyone to the table. "Okay now, before I let you lot make all your mother and sister's hard work disappear, there is a matter that Ginny and I felt you all should know."

Harry suddenly looked at Ginny, thinking she had made up her mind about marrying him. A large smile crept onto his face. "On Ginny's birthday," Arthur continued, "she received a letter from the Ministry that she mistook for one last practical joke from Fred. The letter has been authenticated and it seems that eight generations back, your six times over Great Grandfather made a betrothal of the next born Weasley girl. Now, we and the other family involved are going before the Wizengamot on Monday to reject the betrothal. It's nothing really, but we didn't want anyone getting all worked up over it."

"Who is this betrothal to, Dad?" Bill asked.

"According to the letter's contents, Ginny is supposed to marry Draco Malfoy. And the betrothal is of a cursed nature."

Bill and Charlie seemed to understand what was not being said, but the others were in the dark. Hermione, who was standing behind Ron's chair, asked the question, "What kind of curse?"

"The curse will leave both families unable to produce any heirs," Arthur informed them. Fleur let out an involuntary gasp and Hermione took a step back from Ron's chair. The boys remained quiet, but Bill could be seen giving his wife's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Now relax, this is not uncommon, and once Lucius and I reject the betrothal the curse will be lifted."

"Have you spoken with him yet?" Ron asked. "I mean, being that he and Draco did not fight in the final battle, I would guess that Draco's choices for a Pureblood wife would be pretty low. And we all know how they feel about Purebloods."

"Yes Ron, we both feel the same way about this."

"Well then, there's nothing to worry about," Percy stated. The family decided to leave it for the time being.

Later, after dinner, Harry again asked Ginny, "Will you please come for a walk with me?"

"Sure." She got up and joined him. As he held the door open for her she gave him a smile. They walked in silence for the first while.

Harry finally couldn't take the quiet. "You're not convinced that your dad's right about getting out of this, are you?"

"Dad has never lied to me. I should believe him, but I guess I'm just scared."

Harry stopped her and pulled her close to him. "Gin, I promise you no matter what, Draco Malfoy will never touch you. I'll kill him first, if I have to."

"Harry, don't say that!" Ginny pleaded.

"Ginny, I've beaten him before. You don't have to worry," Harry reassured as he took her face in his hands.

"I know."

"Is this why you didn't say yes on your birthday?" Harry asked.

"No. I really thought that Fred had set this up months back, I mean, think of the reaction he could have got."

"You think you brother would do that to you?"

"Maybe. I know it always bothered him that he could never get me like Ron."

"Trust me, we will get married and have three children. I can see them now; James, Albus, he'll look most like me, and Lily, who will be as beautiful as her mother."

"I don't even get a say in their names?" she asked.

"You can pick their middle names," he teased.

"Okay, how about Sirius, Severus and Luna."

"Ginny, I will not have a son with Snape's name."

"No, Harry, it makes perfect sense. They're brothers, and James will always pick on Albus. It's a brother thing; that way we have James Sirius picking on Severus. Sirius would have loved it! But really, how many times did Snape risk his life for you? I think it's the least you could do."

Harry got more serious. "Dose this mean that you will marry me?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm still not sure. Can I just get past Monday before I try to plan the rest of my life?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**The Wizengamot**

On Monday morning Ginny was sitting at the table when her father came down for breakfast. "Good morning, sweetheart," he greeted as he sat down.

"What time are you going before the Wizengamot?" Ginny asked.

"One o'clock," he replied after taking a sip of the tea Molly had handed him.

"'Kay. I'll come to your office about twelve-thirty," Ginny said.

"Ginny, there's no need. You won't be allowed in; only the heads of each family are allowed in," Molly explained. She had spoken to Arthur the night before about going herself.

"But this will affect the rest of my life!"

"Ginny, I will owl you and your mother as soon as it's done," Arthur reassured her.

"No you won't, I know how things work. It will finish and then on your way back to your office you'll stop and speak to several different people along the way. Perhaps you'll have to run out for an exploding toilet. I could be sitting here until who knows when, never mind waiting for the damn owl to arrive! I'm coming and you can't stop me!"

Molly stood behind Ginny trying hard not to laugh. Ginny had described exactly how things would go. "Arthur, I think it's reasonable for her to go, even if she can't come in. That way she can hear it the minute you're done."

Around ten-thirty Ginny headed upstairs and started getting ready. Her stomach was in knots. No matter what anyone said, she couldn't shake the feeling that this would not be as simple as her father said. She began to wonder why her ancestors would do this to her. Weasleys and Malfoys don't marry, they feud. That was as sure as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

As it was a cool rainy day, Ginny chose to wear a copper brown colored blouse and a tan colored skirt that hugged her well shaped legs. She finished the look with a pair of black high heels. She had her hair styled loosely, but had charmed it so that there was a faltering wave to it. She wore her usual brown eyeliner and mascara, with clear lip gloss. Once she was done she had to admit she was very impressed with how old she looked. She could have been mistaken for at least twenty-five. She Apparated over to the Ministry and had her wand checked, then headed to her father's office. The door was open and he was finishing up with someone she had never met before. He didn't seem impressed and didn't bother to introduce her. She really did not care, she was in no mood to make small talk.

"Ginny, you look very grown up," Arthur admitted.

"Thank you, Daddy – er, Dad." She smiled at him. "Is it too early to head down there?"

"No. Actually, I should speak to Lucius before we head in."

"Why? I thought you said this was simple."

"It is, Ginny, it's just good manners."

"Dad, when did you ever care about manners in regard to Lucius Malfoy?" she questioned as Arthur came around his desk.

He smiled at his daughter. "Since your happiness was on the line." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Let's make our way down there."

"Yes, let's get this over with."

As they walked Ginny asked, "Why is this done in a courtroom?"

"Because it's a legal matter, and they have to be open to listen to testimony if someone believes one of the parties is being forced to reject. Stop worrying; I'm sure no one will doubt that both myself and Lucius are against this. Look, there's Lucius and Draco now."

Lucius and Draco Malfoy noticed Arthur and Ginny at the same moment. "Draco, is that Miss Weasley?" Lucius was surprised to see such a lovely looking young woman coming towards them. She honestly looked out of place walking with Arthur, but Lucius could tell she was nervous. He prided himself on reading people correctly.

Draco glanced at her. "Yes, that's her," he causally replied.

As the two sets of parent and child came within normal speaking range, Arthur spoke first.,"Lucius."

"Arthur, you remember my son Draco?"

"Draco," Arthur nodded. "And this is Ginevra." Normally Arthur would have said more, but he could not figure out how to politely introduce her to a man who tried to kill her at the age of eleven. And he didn't want to be too boastful of her for fear Lucius might change his mind about the rejection.

Lucius, ever the gentleman in public, reached a hand out towards Ginny to shake and she begrudgingly offered hers. "Ginevra."

"Mr. Malfoy," she said coolly, then turned her attention to Draco. A prat and an arse he may be, but she had a greater tolerance for him. "Draco."

"Ginny," Draco greeted.

Just then the door opened and a middle-aged woman entered the room, holding the door open. "Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley? They're ready for you now." Ginny and Draco watched as the two adversaries walked through the door and it closed behind them.

Draco glanced at her. "It could be awhile; do you care to sit down?" He indicated to a few chairs that sat against the wall.

Ginny nodded and headed for the chairs. "This is ridiculous; they're in there talking about our lives and we can't even be in there?"

"I agree."

"This hearing is in respect to the matter of a betrothal between the Weasley and Malfoy families," a plump wizard said, calling the hearing to order. "In attendance we have?" He looked at Arthur.

"Arthur Weasley, The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole."

"Lucius Malfoy, Malfoy Manor, Wilshire." Lucius declared.

Outside, Draco and Ginny kept eyeballing each other. "I'm sorry about your mother's passing," Ginny politely offered.

"Thanks. At least she went doing something she loved. There must have been quite the reaction when you got the letter about this."

"Not really. I thought it was a joke at first."

"Have you thought about what you will do if for some reason this doesn't work?" he asked.

She looked at him. "Why do you ask?"

"I worried that it might not work." Draco finally met her eyes.

"Me too."

He waited for more, but it didn't come easily.

"Mr. Weasley, please state your reasons for coming before us today," the plump wizard said.

"I have come to reject the betrothal of my daughter," Arthur responded.

A voice from the Wizengamot caucus spoke, "Is it possible that we are about to witness history? A Weasley and a Malfoy agreeing on something?" There was a snicker from the crowd.

"I assure you it is not only possible, but I guarantee that it is happening." Lucius commented in response. "I also have come to reject this matter."

"Well, if both parties are in agreement and there are no other witnesses, it will be recorded in the books as rejected and any curse will therefore be lifted," the chief warlock stated. However, before his gavel hit the desk, a man with glasses who looked very frazzled rushed in. "I'm sorry I'm late!"

"Well, Weaslette, what will you do?"

She looked at him again. "I will accept my fate and do what is best for my family."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I guess you would, I  am a great catch."

"I never said I would be happy about it," she grumbled.

"Good day, Mr. Alfred Jefferson. Do you have anything to add to these proceedings?"

"A-a-add? No," stuttered the man.

"Then this-"

"However, Mr. M-Malfoy cannot reject this."

"What are you talking about?" Lucius growled before anyone else could speak.

"TH-th-the magic evoked in betrothals is very clear; those to whom a betrothal is about cannot reject it. Only the head of the party's family can."

"That's what I am."

"Mr Malfoy, pl-please! Your wife passed away when?"

"August 11 of this year," Lucius replied.

"And the time of day?" Mr. Jefferson asked.

"9:30 in the morning," Lucius ground out.

Mr. Jefferson turned towards Arthur. "Mr. Weasley, please inform the court of the time of day your daughter was born."

"Ginevra was born at 5:42 pm"

"Then according to the agreement, Mr. Lucius Malfoy was the first unmarried Malfoy under the age of fifty. He cannot reject his own betrothal. Only Abraxas Malfoy could."

"This is preposterous! He's been dead for twenty years!" Lucius exclaimed. The fact then hit Arthur that his daughter would have to marry the man who tried to kill her or let her family die out.

The chief wizard spoke, "Seeing as how there is only one party who can reject, our hands are tied. There is nothing we can do. The betrothal stands and this matter is closed." The gavel hit the desk with a thunderous bang.

Lucius and Arthur looked at each other; both men's eyes were wide open with shock. They then turned to head out of the courtroom. Arthur commented, "Be thankful you don't have to be the one to tell her."

Draco and Ginny both rose as the doors opened Ginny rushed to her father's side as Lucius and Draco moved in the opposite direction from the doorway. "Well, Daddy?" It killed Arthur to do this, she looked so hopeful. Over his shoulder she could see relief wash over Draco's face. "It's done!"

Draco looked at his father as Lucius began, "Draco, you don't have to worry, you will not be required to marry Miss Weasley." Draco instantly felt relief.

Arthur took Ginny's face in his hands. "Ginny, Draco is not the first unmarried Malfoy. It's Lucius, and there is no one on their side alive who can reject the match."

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Reactions**

" _ Ginny, Draco is not the first unmarried Malfoy. It's Lucius, and there is no one alive who can reject the match." _

Ginny's mouth opened ever so slightly and she took a couple of deep breaths, then finally asked, "What?"

"No one on the Malfoy side can reject the match because Lucius is the first unmarried wizard," Arthur repeated. Ginny's mouth opened and closed a few times like she was trying to speak, but no words came out. Her mind screamed 'NO!' "Gin, do you need to sit down?" She shook her head. "Relax Ginny, no one expects you to go through with this."

"Why is she reacting like that? She doesn't seem pleased," Draco commented.

Lucius glanced over his shoulder. Draco was right. "The betrothal was not rejected. It pertains to myself, not you, Draco."

"Oh! Well Father, you have to admit she is rather attractive," Draco countered.

"Draco, this is not the time or place," Lucius growled "Now excuse me." He stepped away from his son and moved towards Arthur. "Arthur, I will have my lawyer check over the betrothal. Perhaps there's some loophole he can find. I will let you know the minute I know anything."

Arthur nodded. He knew he needed to get Ginny home. "Ginny, come on. Let's get you home." He began to lead her down the hall. He was very concerned; he expected her to explode, not be quiet like this. Once he got her to the Floos, he felt a little better. He made the Floo trip with her like he did when she was a small child. When they landed in the kitchen of the Burrow, Molly was nowhere to be seen. "Molly, we're home!" he called out. Ginny moved away from him and headed for the stairs. "Gin, are you-?"

"I need to be alone," she said, then headed up the stairs.

Once she closed her bedroom door she slumped down against it and began weeping. She hated for anyone to see her cry. How could anyone expect her to marry Lucius Malfoy? He tried to kill her! He was a Death Eater! He hated her family! He was an old man!

But if she didn't marry him, her family would die out. She knew how much her mother wanted grandchildren. She knew any witch would have to think long and hard about marrying one of her brothers now. She thought about Bill and Fleur; they seemed so happy when they announced they were going to start trying for a baby.

Downstairs, Arthur Floo'ed his boss and explained that he would be out for the rest of the day. Then Molly finally came in from outside. She smiled at her husband, but, after knowing him for so many years, she instantly realized something was wrong. "Arthur, what happened?"

"We all made a big mistake!"

"Lucius Malfoy didn't reject the match?" she inquired.

"No, he rejected it. However, he was not in the position  to reject it," Arthur explained.

"What? Then I don't understand."

"Narcissa Malfoy passed away before Ginny turned seventeen. Lucius is the first unmarried Malfoy."

"No! They can't expect her to marry him! He's old enough to be her father!"

"The betrothal stated under the age of fifty. Lucius said he would have his lawyer check it over. Hopefully there's some loophole to get out of this."

"How's Ginny taking the news? She must be devastated."

"She hardly said a word. She wanted to be alone. Honestly, I'm worried. I expected her to explode," Arthur admitted.

"She must be in shock. I'll go check on her. Maybe you should call the boys together. We wouldn't want them to hear this from someone else and do something rash," Molly suggested.

"You're right as always, but Molly, I should tell you: on Ginny's birthday, Harry had asked for my blessing to marry her. I guess she told him she wasn't ready yet and the ring he gave her was meant to be her engagement ring." Arthur hadn't told his wife before because he didn't want the young couple to be pressured.

"Oh, my poor baby! It's really not fair. You'll Floo the boys?"

"Of course," he replied.

Minutes later Molly stood outside Ginny's room. "Honey, can I come in?" After a second or two, the door opened. Ginny's face was still very red from crying, as were her eyes. She was now sitting on her bed, feet on the floor and her hands between her knees. "Your father told me what happened." Ginny almost gave her mother a dirty look. "He also told me Harry asked you to marry him."

"It doesn't matter now," Ginny muttered.

"Why do you say that?"

"Mum, Harry will claim he still wants to marry me, but I know he needs a child of his own. I can't give him that now."

"Ginny, there are other ways to have children," her mother pointed out.

"But it's not the same, Mum. I've always looked forward to seeing my own body create life."

Molly walked over to Ginny and sat down beside her. "You know, for most of your life people will tell you how great being pregnant is. I won't lie; it is all of those things, but here's the other side of it: you get sick at the thought of some of your favorite foods. You eat things you never dreamed of. You have an intimate relationship with the toilet. Your body gets these stretch marks that never go away. You go months without seeing your feet. You can't take the simplest potion because of how it might affect the baby. And then there's labor! Trust me; that was six experiences I could have lived without." Ginny looked sideways at her mum. "Oh, don't get me wrong; I love you all, but I also love Harry the same way. The point is; carrying a child is not as much of a wonderful thing as you young girls seem to think, and it is possible to love a child who is not of your own body."

"Mum, it's not just me. Do you realize what will happen once word of this curse gets out? It already started the other night when we told everyone. Hermione pulled back from Ron. She really loves him, but she pulled away. What about Charlie, George and Percy, for they don't have someone already?"

"Ginny, none of your brothers would ever expect you to marry that man so they could have a woman."

Arthur was really amazed at how quickly the boys, Hermione, and Fleur arrived. Once everyone was there he got right to the point. "The match couldn't be rejected because Draco is not the first unmarried Malfoy. Lucius is, and he can't reject his own match."

Fleur instantly had a sob escape, and Hermione asked, "But aren't there other Malfoys; an older cousin or someone who could?"

"There are older cousins, but Lucius is from a long line of firstborns, so he is the head of the family. The only person who could have rejected it was his own father."

"What does Ginny plan on doing?' Harry asked.

"She's not marrying him," Charlie said defiantly.

"I don't know where her head is at right now. I expected her to explode when I told her, but she instead got very quiet. Molly is with her now."

At Malfoy Manor, Lucius sat in his study with his lawyers who were going over the official betrothal agreement. "Mr. Malfoy, Primo Malfoy was very precise in this agreement. He left no room for misinterpretation and no loopholes. Even if you were to die, your son would have to marry the girl."

"Surely there must be some way to break the curse," Lucius demanded.

"I highly doubt it. The one used here can only be avoided."

"Avoided? How?"

"By the Weasleys not having a girl, and I would guess that some member of their family who was aware of this agreement cast a spell that left them only able to have boys. But magic like that only works for so long. Unless it was reinforced, it would have been time for a female Weasley to be born."

"This is ludicrous! The Malfoys and Weasleys having to rely on each other for survival!" Lucius spat.

"That was the point of this agreement," the lawyer pointed out calmly.

"Can't we have it thrown out on the grounds that Primo Malfoy was insane?"

"At the time the agreement was made, perhaps. But eight generations later, no," the lawyer explained. "I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, but Primo Malfoy made this ironclad. If you and Miss Weasley don't marry and have a child together, then both families will be wiped out completely."

Molly finally got Ginny to come downstairs. When she did, Bill rose and walked over to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Ginny, I speak for everyone here; no one expects you to marry him."

They could all tell she had been crying, despite the fact that she had washed her face. Her eyes were still very red. As Bill spoke tears began to form again. "What about the curse?" she mumbled.

Bill gave her a cocky smile. "Remind me, please; what's my job title?"

"Curse breaker," Ginny replied.

"Exactly, and I will find a way to break this. I promise you."

"I hope you're right."

Later, when Harry took Ginny for a walk, Hermione had a chance to speak to Fleur alone. "I'm going to ask you because I know how they will all react if I ask them. If Bill can't break this, couldn't Ginny marry Lucius, have his child, and then divorce him?"

Fleur smiled sadly at Hermione. "I see zere are some sings you 'ave not read, 'Ermione. You see, when a magical, Pure blood couple consummate deir marriage vows, deir magical forces are tied togeder and dat tie can only be severed by death. Witout regular marital relations, dey both would lose de magic and die. Dere is no divorce in our world."

"But there are other ways, Muggle ways, to get pregnant without actually having sex."

Fleur laughed " 'Ermione, a wizard marriage is not valid until de couple 'ave 'ad sex. It would do no good to 'ave a marriage in name only."

"But if sex is so important, then-"

"'Ermione, you 'ave Muggle cousins, right?" Hermione nodded. "Most of dem 'ave 'ad sex already, right?"

"Yes."

"But Ron 'as never pushed for it, right? Look, dere are reasons most Pure blooded men want a Pure blooded wife. Dat's one reason Ron has never pushed you for sex. Sex in itself is magical. Brides need to be untouched. It's to solidify de bond. Tousands of years ago when Wizards began to marry Muggles, men not unlike Lucius Malfoy put fort' a magical curse dat was placed on all Pure blood girls; dey cannot 'ave sex until dey are married."

"That's barbaric! Why has no one fought it?"

"Because no fodder wants to tink of deir daughter as a sexual creature. I'm sure your own Muggle fodder 'as made comments like you were not allowed to date until you were forty, or someting. And no mudder ever wants to see her daughter be a single parent."

"Ginny really is doomed; marry him or watch her family be wiped out," Hermione summed up.

"Ginny, I just want you to know I don't care about this betrothal. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"That's really very noble of you, but Harry, that would mean I would never have a child."

"That doesn't matter."

"Harry, it's easy to say that now, but what about in five years?"

"I don't care; we'll figure something out. Just marry me!"

"Would you stop pushing me! I have more than myself to think about here. This does not just affect me, but my brothers too."

"Gin, you have to live for yourself, not for them."

"Really? And what about Ron and Hermione? You may not have noticed it; Hermione probably doesn't even realize she did it, but the second she heard about the curse she pulled back from Ron. She won't marry him because she wants her own child. AND ONE DAY YOU WILL FEEL THE SAME!" Ginny yelled.

"Fine! So if at some point she and I do, maybe we could help each other out and she could have a couple of kids with me and each couple would get one." Ginny slapped him across the face and ran back to the house. Everyone watched as she headed up to her room with tears pouring down her face. Ron and Hermione got up and went after Harry.

When they found him he looked a little shocked. "Mate, what happened?"

"I was trying to talk her into marrying me, but she was worried about children. I suggested that maybe Hermione and I could provide a couple of kids and each -" Ron was on top of Harry, trumping him out.

"RON! RONALD! RON!-" Hermione yelled as she pulled at Ron. Finally, she whipped out her wand and froze him. Harry then pushed Ron off of himself. "Merlin, Harry, you don't think! They're wizards; they only know one way to conceive a child!" She walked over to Ron. "Ronald, there are Muggle ways for a couple to have a child without ever being intimate. I'm sure that's what Harry was talking about. Right, Harry?"

"Of course, mate! I mean, I love her and all, but like a sister. I would never in a million years touch her that way."

"Gee, thanks Harry." Hermione sounded offended. "Now, are you calm enough for me to release you?"

His eyes replied yes. Hermione released the charm. "What Muggle ways?" he asked.

"Well, I don't exactly know, but they get a sample of genetic material from Harry and then inject it into the woman. They never even have to meet, never mind do anything else."

Ron looked disgusted. "That's just sick! I mean, yeeecch!"

"Well Ron, Muggles have to do something. They don't have spells and charms. It's science."

"What the hell is science?" Ron barked, still looking angry

"It's biology, physics, and chemistry, which is similar to Potions."

"Well I don't know what that is!" he haughtily retorted.

"Of course you don't, just like Muggles don't know about spells and charms." She then turned on Harry. "You really fucked up with Ginny."

"I know, I wasn't thinking. We were fighting right before I said it!" he explained.

"While you two make up, I will try to explain it to Ginny, if she'll talk to me!" Hermione said.

At that moment, Lucius Malfoy's owl flew into the kitchen of the Burrow. Arthur opened the letter and read it aloud. "'Arthur Weasley, My lawyers have looked at the betrothal agreement from every angle and there is no way out of this. I suggest that we meet to discuss things if we intend to do anything. Please meet me at my office tomorrow at ten. Lucius Malfoy.' That's it, that's all there is," Arthur told his sons and wife.

Then the kitchen door opened and Hermione entered. "Where's Ginny? Upstairs?"

"Yes, but Hermione, a letter just arrived from Malfoy. I think I should tell her about it first," Arthur sadly explained.

"Well, she's already really upset. Harry really screwed up."

"She doesn't need any more problems right now," Charlie stated.

"I don't think Harry was trying to cause a problem, he was just trying to offer a solution, and it came off wrong. But before anyone gives him a hard time about it, Ron took care of that with the black eye Harry's now sporting."

In Ginny's room she lay on her bed, sobbing. She was mad at her ancestors for promising her to a man who tried to kill her. She could not believe that Narcissa Malfoy died hours before she turned seventeen! She might not have liked it, but she could have dealt with being married to Draco. But Lucius? The man had no heart, he was a Death Eater. He tried to kill her as a child. He has probably raped more women than Ginny had ever met. How many others had he killed? He probably tortured puppies in his spare time and stole candy from babies to see them cry. Monster was too good a word for him. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in."

The door opened and in walked her father. "Gin, are you – honey, I'm worried about you. This is a lot on your plate. You have always been so strong. Please Ginny, don't close me out now!"

She sat up on the bed and patted the spot next to herself. Arthur came over and sat down. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I-I-"

"No one expects you to even think about doing this, Ginny."

"I know, but why did they do this to me?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Do you know what Harry said to me?"

"No. After you came in Ron and Hermione went after him."

"They would," she blurted out.

"Ginny, I don't want to upset you, but you're a little scary when you're upset."

"He suggested having H- someone else give him a child of his own!"

"No?!"

"He did," came Hermione's voice from the doorway. "but it's not-"

"Get out!" Ginny screamed as she got up and moved towards the door. Hermione backed up ever so slightly.

"Ginny, please hear me-"

"I want nothing to do with you!" Ginny then used wandless magic to push Hermione out of the room and slam the door.

"I take it Hermione was the person he suggested," Arthur guessed.

"Yes. It just goes to show he always felt she was better than me."

"I don't know about that, Ginny. Why do you say that?"

She came and sat next to her father again. "He let her go with him looking for the horcruxes when I was the one who spent a good part of a year with Tom Riddle in my head! He felt he needed her more than me."

"I don't think that was it, Ginny. I think Harry has lost so many people he cared about, he didn't want to place you in any more danger."

"It sure didn't feel that way," she concluded.

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**The Meeting**

Arthur looked at his daughter, not knowing what to say. Personally, he was thankful Harry hadn't taken Ginny, but he could also see where she was coming from. "Ginny, everything will work out for the best."

"How, Daddy? If I don't marry Lucius, then our family will die off."

"Ginny, look at me. My children's happiness is what matters most. There's no way you could ever be happy with him."

"But Mum has always wanted grandchildren, and Bill and Fleur..."

"They can adopt children," Arthur pointed out. "I don't want you to even think about this. Now, your mother has supper going. Are you going to come down?"

She shook her head. "No, Daddy, I'm just too upset with Harry right now."

"Alright. And Gin, tomorrow when I meet with Lucius, I will let him know that you aren't willing to marry him," he said as he got up.

"You're meeting with him?"

He nodded. "He owled to say his lawyers said there is no way out of this."

"Daddy, I will meet with him," Ginny stated.

"No, sweetheart. I'll do it for you."

"Dad, I need some way to take out the anger I have towards my ancestors, and Harry. Besides, I'm an adult, and I want to do this."

Arthur pondered whether to let her go or not. "Ginny, I don't think..."

"Dad, he gave me Tom's diary! It's time for me to face the man who handed me to that monster, and I have to do it on my own two feet."

Arthur gave in, figuring it would be good to let Lucius see what a temper Ginny had. "If you're sure..."

"I am."

"I'll have someone come up with a plate for you."

She made eye contact with him. "Just not Harry or Hermione."

Not five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Gin? Please let me come in and explain," came Harry's voice. Ginny did not reply. "I'm not leaving until you hear me out!" She still didn't answer.

Twenty minutes later she could hear Ron talking to Harry outside her door. "She still won't talk to you?"

"No," Harry grumbled.

"Then it's going to be awhile. She doesn't get mad often, but God help you when she does. It's the whole reason the twins never tried anything on her. They didn't want to risk her wrath. Better to have her on your side than mad at you." Ron then knocked on Ginny's door and said, louder, "Ginny, I have your supper here."

"You and you alone can come in," she replied.

Ron then said, "Harry, go down and eat."

"No! I'm staying right here until I talk to her."

"Look Harry, I'm not risking her being upset with me, too."

A second later, Ron opened the bedroom door with a spell and walked in, kicked the door closed behind himself, then came over and handed Ginny the plate of food and a drink. He then placed a silencing charm on the room. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked his only sister.

"Do you know what he suggested?" she asked as she stabbed a piece of cucumber.

Ron smiled to himself. "Yeah, and I gave him a black eye for even thinking it." He paused, "But he and Hermione explained that we didn't understand. It's not what we think; it's some Muggle thing called science."

"I don't care what they call it!"

"No, I guess not. Look, I don't understand it either, but they would never have to touch or even see each other. Apparently, two complete strangers that have never even met can have a child together."

"You believed that?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "I guess it does seem a little far fetched, but why would they lie?" They both sat quiet for a long time. "So are you going to talk to him?"

"I'm not ready yet."

"I'll tell him that, but I can't say it will keep him from sitting in the hall all night."

"Thanks, Ron."

The next morning Ginny was relieved to see Harry did leave at some point. After eating breakfast, which was full of, "Are you sure you don't want us/me to come with you?" from her family, Ginny took time and put a good deal of care into her appearance. She didn't want Lucius Malfoy to have any reason to insult her. She chose a sun dress that was aquamarine in color and she secured her hair in a fabric headband that was made from the same material as her dress. She headed down to Malfoy Holdings which was located at the far end of Diagon Alley. After having to ask for the location of Lucius' office, she made her way up. As the lift doors opened, she found a fair sized waiting area. Across from the lift was a reception desk that had an older witch sitting behind it. The woman looked old enough to have gone to school with her Great Aunt Tessie. Ginny walked up to the desk and plastered a smile on her face. "Weasley here to see Lucius Malfoy. He's expecting me."

The woman didn't smile at Ginny; just looked her up and down and then said, "Have a seat. I will let him know you're here." As Ginny moved toward a chair, she noticed the room was soft and relaxing, not at all what she had expected. Once seated, Ginny realized the secretary hadn't yet informed Lucius she was there; she just continued to work on whatever she had been working on before her arrival. Ginny recognized this for what it was; it was meant to inform her that she was of no importance and it didn't matter if she was left waiting. Once the old bat finished, she then rose and entered what Ginny guessed was Lucius' office, closing the door behind herself. Ginny tried to calm herself. Lucius had done his worst to her as a child, so there was nothing more he could do to her now. If he wanted to play little mind games to prove to himself he was superior to her, fine. _She_ wasn't the one who spent at least two days a week at the Ministry selling _her_ friends up the creek without a paddle.

Finally, the woman stepped back into the room. "Mr Malfoy will see you now."

Ginny rose and moved toward the door, holding her head high. She would not go in meekly, nor would she show any weakness. The office was colossal. The far wall was all windows that let in the morning sun. There was a large desk in the center of the room, where Lucius sat wearing his custom-made business robes, black in color. His hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail. When she entered the room, he stood to greet her. Ginny guessed that was part of the gentlemanly manners that must have been bred into him since childhood.

Lucius looked at the young woman in front of him; she was young, and a Weasley, but it did not change the fact that she was beautiful. He noticed how she carried herself with a natural grace; it wasn't forced or practiced. He had been surprised when Ms. Oftener said it was a _Miss_ Weasley to see him and not Arthur as he had been expecting, but Ginevra was far easier on the eyes than her father would have been. "Miss Weasley. Is your father going to be joining us?"

She stood still and met his gaze. "I'm an adult. I don't need my father's permission to think for myself." Ginny smiled at herself for what she knew was a little dig about how Draco seemed to only do as his father allowed.

Lucius did pick up on what she was saying. "I'm quite surprised he would allow you to come alone today. Have a seat." He gestured to the chair in front of his desk

Ginny took note of the sunlight that was entering the room and realized if she sat down she would be blinded by it. "Thank you, but I prefer to stand."

Lucius couldn't miss the fact that she realized sitting would place her at a disadvantage. "Fine." He too remained standing. "No doubt your father informed you that my lawyers couldn't find a way out of this?"

"Yes he did."

"Then we need to discuss what course of action we wish to take."

Ginny shook her head. "Not really. We only have two choices, and while I knew what I was willing to do when I believed it was Draco that I was betrothed to, _you_ are a different matter."

"And what would you have done had it been Draco?" Lucius asked.

"If I had to, I would have married him. He has spent his whole life doing what you have told him to do. I could have handled him without a problem."

"Are you saying you could not handle me?"

"No, I'm saying Draco is a puppy and he would have been easy to retrain. You would be a larger project that I don't know if I care to put any effort into."

"You insolent child!"

"Insolent, perhaps. Child, no. Now, as far as marrying you goes, I have not made up my mind as of yet. I'm only seventeen and I need more time to decide which way I want to ruin my life."

"I don't recall saying that I was willing to marry you," Lucius said, his calmness returning.

"But you will... if I agree to it. I have spent a lot of time thinking about this. Having me as you wife would allow the Malfoy line to continue. I'm Pure blood, and there is the added fact that having me as your wife would be good for your image. Also, there's Draco's happiness to consider."

Now Lucius wanted to string her up! _How dare she speak to me like this?_ he thought, then said, "I assume your family thinks you're here telling me that you definitely will not marry me."

"That would be correct. There's no reason to upset them as of yet."

"When do you think you will know what you're doing?"

She smiled to herself; she had won this encounter. "I will let you know once I know. In the meantime, I would appreciate it if you don't send any owls while I'm still at home. I don't need my family reacting to the fact that I'm even thinking about this." She then turned and left the office.

That didn't go as Lucius had hoped. He told himself that it was because it was Ginevra Weasley, not Arthur, as he had been expecting. He didn't think the girl would come on her own. Had he been expecting her alone, his game plan would have been different. Still, it was sloppy of him to not have anticipated this circumstance. Well, even from failure there is still something to be learned. His lesson today was: do not underestimate Ginevra Weasley. And expect the unexpected.

As Ginny rode the lift down, she said to herself, "First point to Ginny Weasley!"


	7. Another Meeting

Another Meeting

Chapter Seven

When Ginny arrived at the Burrow she was surprised to see her whole family sitting at the kitchen table. Every single pair of eyes landed on her the minute she stepped into the room. Molly was the first to speak, "Well, how did it go?"

"Geez, don't you people have jobs?"

"Now Ginny, don't be like that! We were all just worried about our baby sister."

"You weren't worried, you were taking bets on which one of them would come out alive," Charlie said to George.

"No, you're all just nosy," she haughtily retorted. "It went fine."

"We are all just concerned," her father explained.

"Yeah, it's not every day one comes face to face with the man who tried to kill you as a child," George explained himself further.

"Ginny dear, did he pressure you?" Molly asked.

"Look, I told him I'm only seventeen and not ready to fuck up my life just yet! Now if you will all excuse me, I'm heading to Luna's!" She turned and stormed out the door.

Within ten minutes of Ginny arriving at the Lovegood home, Neville Longbottom arrived also. Ginny took her time and explained the issues at hand to her friends. She wasn't looking for a solution, she just wanted to talk about it.

"So what are you thinking about doing?" Neville asked.

"I don't know. I mean, when I believed it was Draco it was one thing, but Lucius Malfoy?..."

"Ginny, you need to think about what's right for you, not your family. You have to do what will make you the happiest."

"But my family  is part of what makes me happy. I mean, I don't think I could be truly happy married to Harry if I thought the boys could be happier without this curse."

"So right now you're leaning towards marrying him? Neville questioned.

"I don't know, I mean... Merlin, this is so unfair!" Ginny wailed.

"Ginny, you know he needs you as much as you need him. It might not be as bad as you're thinking," Luna stated.

Both Neville and Ginny looked at Luna like she was, well, loony. "Luna, you were kept in his dungeons, so how can you of all people say that?" Neville pointed out.

"Yes Neville, I was, but I could have been tortured or raped or starved or killed, but I wasn't. We all saw the Malfoys running through Hogwarts screaming and looking for Draco. I don't think he's going to ever win the Humanitarian of the Year award, but maybe if Ginny was to marry him they could at least come to some level of mutual respect for each other. In the end you might become quite comfortable," Luna summed up.

"Luna, do you think your father would mind if I spent the night here? I just can't be at home tonight."

"No, I'm sure he won't mind."

Ginny spent a couple of days at the Lovegood home. She just couldn't deal with her family. Finally on day three she returned home to find a changed attitude. Everyone, when they stopped by the house, would find their own subtle way of telling her they didn't expect her to marry Lucius. Three days before Ginny was to head to Hogwarts, she returned from town to find Bill over for supper. "Hi, Bill," she greeted.

"Hey, twerp! Mum said you made some banana cream pie, so I had to come by for some."

"What, all that French food Fleur cooks isn't making you fat enough?" Like most men, Bill had put on a few extra pounds since getting married.

"Well, Fleur has been visiting her mum this week," Bill explained. "It's been good. I've been spending my nights looking at the curse, and I will find a way to break it," he promised.

The rest of his visit was normal, but that night Ginny lay awake long into the night. She realized what was happening here; Fleur, who stayed with Bill after Greyback's attack, was now having doubts about her marriage to him. It's true that she was with him for life, but maybe she was now regretting marrying him because of how their life would be affected. She would then become bitter and Bill would feel that. They would grow to hate each other. And who would be willing to marry a man knowing full well that you would never have a child of your own? The brothers' choices for brides would be very limited to women who didn't want children or couldn't have children. That in itself seemed unfair to them.

The more she thought about it the more the idea made sense; if she married Malfoy, her brothers' lives would go on normally. Five happy brothers, five happy couples, and one unhappy person. Or, six people pretending to be happy. No, the needs of her family were more important than her own. If they were happy, then she could find things to be happy about. And Luna was right; Malfoy needed her, so they would have to compromise. Once her mind was made up she jumped up from her bed and penned a note:

_ Lucius Malfoy, _

_I request a meeting to discuss the matter of our_ _betrothal. Please meet me at the Leaky Cauldron at three pm today!_

_ Ginny Weasley _

Once finished Ginny sent Candy, the owl she received her from her parents last year so she could send them letters from school, with the note. Once the bird took off Ginny lay down and tried to get some sleep. She finally fell asleep just before dawn and didn't wake up until noon. When she woke she rushed to the shower, but before she got there she met her mother. "Really, Ginny! Sleeping till noon two days before you start school! You should be trying to get yourself on a schedule."

"I know, Mum, but I'm sorry; I had a real hard time getting to sleep last night. By the way, I won't be home for dinner tonight. Luna, Neville and I have plans to have dinner together. You know, being that in a couple of days time he will be staff and we will be students, he doesn't want anyone to claim he's favoring us. We plan to try to hang out together only when school isn't in."

"That's a lovely idea. I take it you're heading out soon?"

"Yeah. Luna swears she saw a Crumple-Horned Snorkack hiding in the offices of the Quibbler. I promised I would go and have a look."

Molly rolled her eyes and muttered, "That family!" then continued at normal volume, "You're such a good friend to put up with her."

"Thanks, Mum!" In the shower Ginny went over what she planned to say to Lucius Malfoy, then put great care into her appearance. For today she chose to wear a butter-yellow sundress and again wore her hair in a matching headband, but charmed it so the hair fell in big, loose ringlets. Once she was satisfied with her look, she headed out to London.

As she gazed at the Leaky Cauldron, she took a deep breath and then entered. She let her eyes adjust to the dim light that was such a contrast to the sunny day outside. She scanned the room, but didn't see Lucius there. _ That figures, he would be late. _

"Miss Weasley?" She jumped, for Tom the barkeep had startled her.

"Oh Tom, you scared me!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, miss, but there's someone waiting for you in the private dining room." He pointed down a short hall off the main room.

"Thank you." She then made her way down the hall. As she reached the door, she sighed heavily. The next few minutes would forever change her life. She then knocked on the closed door.

The door swung open and inside was, of course, Lucius Malfoy. He looked very regal, dressed once more in black dress robes.  _ Doesn't the man ever get hot? s _ he asked herself. "Miss Weasley, seeing as how you didn't want me to send any owls to your home, I guessed you wouldn't want our conversation overheard by everyone who passed through here."

"I guess you're right," she replied, feeling less brave than she was last night.

"Would you care for something to drink?" He indicated to the wine that was sitting on the table next to him. Ginny looked at the bottle; she was not used to drinking. "I took the liberty of ordering a beginner wine, guessing at your age you're still not used to drinking wine."

Her mouth was suddenly very dry. "I guess that would be alright." He poured her a glass and offered it to her.

"It has a strawberry taste to it," he explained as she took a sip of it. "Well, Miss Weasley?" he asked.

"It's nice," she replied.

He smirked. "Yes. As I said, it's a beginner wine. So, you asked for this meeting. What is it you have to say?"

"Well, first off I want to know why you gave me Tom Riddle's diary?"

He sighed deeply. "It was not about  you . Your father had just drawn up a Muggle Protection Bill and I needed to discredit him. What better way to do that than to have one of his children be responsible for opening the Chamber of Secrets. As a girl, you were more likely to write in a diary. I never understood fully the power of that book, though."

She nodded in understanding and appreciated that he did not delude the fact. "Thank you for being somewhat truthful. Now, I have spent a lot of time thinking about this and the way I see it, you are most likely willing to go through with this because you want Draco to be happy, and to continue your blood line. So if we are to do this, I have a few ground rules. First, I demand to be treated with respect, in every way. Second, the child we must have will not be taught that Muggle-borns are lesser people!" He snorted at that. "Third, I will finish my last year at Hogwarts for I plan to become a journalist. And finally, if we are to get married, it must be tonight." She knew she rushed through it.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Lucius asked her as he stole a glance at her young cleavage.

"Because if my family knows what I'm doing they will try to stop me. They won't understand that a little bit of time being upset now is better for them in the long run. If it's done before they know it, then there's nothing they can do about it."

"You realize that for there to be nothing they can do, we would have to consummate the wedding?"

"Yes," she spat. "I'm not a child, I understand that."

"And you're willing to do that?" he asked, still a little taken aback by her.

"I am, for my family's long term happiness. Look, I don't care if you have lovers..."

"Malfoys don't have affairs. I would demand the same of my wife." He watched as a look of disappointment crossed her face. "Relax, I'm told I'm an excellent lover."

"But how? I mean, one person..."

He couldn't help but smirk at her innocence. "The marital magic is based on a woman's virginity. I had lovers before my late wife," he calmly explained.

"Look, I really don't care. Are we doing this?"


	8. "I Now Pronounce You..."

**CHAPTER 8**

" **I Now Pronounce You..."**

"First of all, Ginevra-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Well I'm sorry to say, but Ginny in not a respectable name."

"When did you ever care about being respectable? I believe most people in our world don't believe that being a Death Eater is respectable," she accused.

He ignored her comment and continued, "The Malfoy name has always stood for something better than the rest. I will not have you bringing it down with a ridiculous nickname. Also, Malfoy wives don't work; that's just the way my world works. As for school, once we're married there's no point to finishing Hogwarts."

"What, are you scared I might learn something that I could use against you? I hate to tell you this, but there are things that Tom Riddle taught me that I'm sure he has never even shared with you. I'm sorry, but because of you and your... associates, I have never had a normal year at school. The war is over now and despite everything, like us having to marry, I would like a somewhat normal year at school. If you don't want me to work, I will at least write; perhaps a book. As for a child, I would rather do that sooner than later."

"That's unexpected," Lucius mused. "I would have thought that someone your age would want to put that off for quite some time."

"Yes, well, I'm thinking of my brothers' lives. I'm sure you realize that until it's proven that this curse is lifted, Draco's choices for a wife would be limited."

"You are correct."

"I would like to finish the school year before I start to show. So, are we doing this?"

"Don't you want a large wedding? Most young girls do."

"Yes, and most young girls are in love with the man they're marrying."

"I would be willing to spare no expense on a wedding." Lucius wanted to watch Arthur go crazy at the idea of his little girl marrying his nemesis.

"It would not be for the wedding; it would be about upsetting my family. Look, if you don't want to marry me today, I'll just walk out that door and you'll never see me again. Fact of the matter is; I don't want to be married to you, but I'm here today for my family. If they knew I was here, they would all be trying to talk me out of this. And honestly, right now it wouldn't take much. So it's now or never," she threatened. Lucius looked at the girl in front of him. She surprised him, and it took a lot to surprise him. When he didn't reply, she rose to leave. "I wish you the best in life," she said.

"Wait! We will do this, today." He rose and tried to take hold of her arm to lead her to the Apparition point in the courtyard.

But she shrugged him off. "I'm capable of walking myself."

Once in the courtyard, he explained, "We will go to my Manor in Wilshire. I will have a minister come to the house and perform the marriage there."

"Fine." She was clearly guarded.

"Because of the wards on my home, we will have to use side-along Apparition. Otherwise you would be killed."

"No I wouldn't, thanks to Harry," she pointed out defiantly.

"Do you really want to find out what the wards would do to you, then?" She realized that any number of things other than death could happen. "You will have to allow me to touch you in order to consummate our vows."

"I know that, I was just trying to delay it as long as possible," she spat.

He paid no mind to her comment, but took hold of her upper arm and then Apparated them to the foyer.

When they landed, Ginny was shocked to see the richness of the Manor. Never in all her life had she seen anything as beautiful as this. Lucius' grip on her arm was released and he looked down at her. "I expect if you insist on finishing school that you would return to the Manor on weekends, as I have many functions I must attend where having my wife present would be beneficial."

"But I could stay for some weekends?" she asked.

"Yes." He paused. "Winny!" he ordered and a house elf appeared.

"Y-Yes Master, you called?" the house elf asked the second she popped into the room.

"This is Ginevra. In a matter of hours she will be the new Mrs. Malfoy. Take her to the rose room so she can freshen up for our wedding." He then looked at the girl who would be his wife and breathed in deeply before speaking, "Are you sure about this? I expect you to be willing to give yourself to me tonight."

She looked scared at what was to come."I know. Am I sure? No, but I don't have a say, really. I will remind you that I expect to be treated with respect. In turn, I will treat you the same."

"See that you do. I will send for you once the minister is here. If you require anything, ask Winny." He then turned on his heel and headed for his office.

After contacting the minister, he took some time to muse over his and Ginevra's interaction. At the very least, she would be fun to spar with. And he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't looking forward to having her in his bed. It had been far too long since he had a seventeen year old and he only had one virgin before. Yes, he sleep with women before he married, but they were either older women who were married or Mudbloods who had lost their virginity to a Muggle. Yes, Mudbloods had their uses; however it took most Slytherins too long to realize that. After he finished with them he would simply erase their memory. But Ginevra was a number of things he found desirable; she was young, she was beautiful, she was a natural redhead, she had spirit. And the fact that he would have her would drive her father crazy. Yes, tonight, as he took her, he would put care into making sure she enjoyed herself, because what sweeter revenge could he have than Arthur Weasley's daughter wanting to have sex with him on a regular basis?

The minister he had called was an old man who was perhaps a little senile. While he was a wizard, he never even batted an eye at the fact that a Malfoy was marrying a Weasley. Lucius had expected Ginevra to cry as the wedding took place; to cry for what she was losing, but instead she held her head high. When the minister said, "You may kiss the bride," Lucius and Ginevra turned towards each other. As he leaned down over her petite frame, he decided against allowing this to be a chaste kiss. He took her in his arms and pulled her body close to him, then brought his lips down on hers. At first she fought back, trying to only give him a small peck. Lucius would not allow that. His lips moved with skill over hers until, slowly, she relaxed and enjoyed the kiss. When he pulled back, she was red and for a second he was unsure if it was anger. As she turned away from him, he realized that it was embarrassment.

By six o'clock they were married. After the minister left Lucius had looked once more at his new wife and asked, "When do you want to tell your family?"

"Tomorrow. Now that it's done, there's nothing they can do about it. I do want a little time first, though. Um..." she paused.

He noted that she looked unsure of herself. "Yes?"

"Would you mind if we don't say anything to Draco until tomorrow as well?"

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because he and Ron and Harry never got along and I wouldn't want him to alert my family out of spite."

Lucius looked at the girl in front of him and wondered what their future would hold. "Fine. Perhaps we should have dinner. I'm sure you must be hungry."

"I guess, but... can I use the Floo?" she asked after realizing her family would worry about her whereabouts. "And I will need to send an owl, but not yours... or Draco's; my family might recognize them."

"I will check with Paul, my butler, if his is available. And you may use the Floo right there." He pointed to the fireplace.

"Thank you." She walked over to the fireplace and placed a call to Luna. "Luna, I need a big favor! I'm going to tell my family that I'm staying at your place tonight. If for some reason they should call, can you cover for me?"

"Why, Ginny? What are you doing?"

"What I have to, for my family. Please Luna, will you cover for me?"

"Ginny! You didn't, did you?" Luna exclaimed.

"I'm fine. Everything will be fine tomorrow. Can I count-"

"Of course you can, Ginny! I'm sure you know what you're doing. And know I will be there for you."

"Thanks, Luna." Ginny then closed the connection.

She noticed Lucius was gone from the room now, but she spotted a quill and parchment on the desk. She moved to the desk, sat down, and began to write:

_Mum and Dad,_

_I won't be home tonight. I'm staying at Luna's. Please just let me have this time._

She stopped to think about how to continue. She really hated to lie to them.

Lucius had re-entered the room and studied her. He could tell something was wrong. "What's the matter?" he inquired.

"I'm just trying to word this right. I don't like lying to Mum and Dad."

Lucius laughed out loud. "You went and married me behind their backs, but you have issues about lying to them concerning where you are tonight."

"Well, unlike some people, I haven't made it part of my way of life to lie to people. Do you think this is easy for me? I know what I did today is better for them in the long run, but I also know that this will hurt them. I just don't want to make it worse."

"Then don't really lie. Try using half truths." He walked over to the desk, picked up her paper, and read it. "Try this: Mum and Dad, there's a lot going on right now, and I need some time to figure out what life has in store for me. Don't worry, I'm safe and will see you tomorrow."

"Thanks. I think." She started over and wrote what Lucius suggested.

Over dinner Ginny was very quiet, for her mind was on the next few hours. She was scared to death of what was to come and she hoped Lucius would be gentle. She kept stealing glances at him and she hated to admit it, but he was attractive. She had been disappointed to find out that they would not be allowed to have lovers on the side, and she was disappointed by the fact that she might never know what it would be like to make love to someone she did love.

But she just kept reminding herself of the fact that her brothers would be able to marry whomever they wished, and that her mother would get grandchildren.

Lucius' voice broke her train of thought. "Do you always put other people's happiness before your own?"

She looked at him for a long moment, trying to decide if he was asking in an effort to make conversation, or to make fun of her.


	9. The Morning After

**CHAPTER 9**

**The Morning After**

Ginny ran down the hall towards the rose bedroom, failing in her hope to get there before crying. By the time she reached the door, her whole face was wet. Finally the door was in reach, and once inside she slammed it shut. She barely made it to the bed before her legs gave out on her. She sobbed into the pillow for a long time as the events of earlier played in her mind.

She remembered hoping Lucius would be kind about this, and he had surprised her. He was not only kind about the event; she could tell he was making an attempt to get her to enjoy it. And she did enjoy it, but now she was filled with shame. She should have hated him touching her. Now she wished he had been cruel about it. Then she wouldn't have liked his lips touching her flesh, and touch her flesh they did. She didn't think there was a spot on her body he did not touch.

When Lucius returned from the bathroom, he was disappointed to find his bed empty. _She must have_ _left,_ he thought to himself. He had been planning on having her at least one more time. Just the idea of how young she was thrilled him. True, she hadn't reached orgasm, but he believed she would have had she relaxed a little more. The fact that she left made little difference now; they were bonded to each other. She would be returning to his bed more often than she thought. Sometimes the ancient ones were wise. Bonding a wife to her husband to the point of their lives depending on it did have its merits. As Lucius climbed into bed he had to smirk at the idea of having her again. She was a clean slate, sexually, so he could mold her into his ideal sex kitten if he wanted. He hadn't been wise enough to do that with Narcissa. As his sleepy thoughts continued, he figured it really was a shame that she was the only true female Weasley. A blood traitor she may be, and a Weasley she may be, but she was one beautiful young woman. Lucius fell asleep with a smile on his face as he thought about informing her family tomorrow.

The next morning when Ginny woke up, she first made her way to the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror she saw that her eyes were quite red and puffy from crying. She could fix that with a simple charm. She went back into the bedroom to find her wand, only to realize she left it in Lucius' room. She really didn't want to face him just yet. She was not sure if she would kill him for making her enjoy their encounter the night before, or if she would die of embarrassment. She pondered what to do, then she remembered; the house elves! But would they listen to her? Well, she was now Mrs. Lucius Malfoy (she cringed at the idea), so what could it hurt to try? What was the worst that could happen? They wouldn't answer her? She would be no worse off than she was now. "Winny?" she called out. A second later the house elf she met the day before appeared.

The elf smiled at her; she had the most beautiful shade of violet eyes Ginny had ever seen. "Mrs Malfoy, how may Winny be of service to you?"

"I was hoping you could go to Mr. Malfoy's room and get me my wand."

The elf looked fearful. "I's sorry, Mrs. Malfoy, but we house elves are not allowed to touch a wizard wand!"

How could she have forgotten? "What about a hover charm so you don't have to touch it?"

"No Madam," the elf sadly shook it's head.

"Don't call me that!" She shuddered at how the word made her feel old.

"I's very sorry, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Please, don't remind me," Ginny said as she flopped down on the bed.

"You's not happy about marrying Master Malfoy?"

For some reason, Ginny felt safe with this elf. "No, I really had no choice in the matter. I had to marry him for my family's happiness." She began to tear up again.

The elf looked very uncomfortable, but then realized that Ginny needed someone to understand. It came closer. "Why is it you did not want to marry him?"

"Why?" Ginny looked at Winny. "Our families don't get along, he's old enough to be my father, I don't even like him, and he tried to kill me as a child."

"Winny knows what people say about Master and yes, he is a lot of bad things, but he is other good things too. Winny knows you was crying last night. Did he hurt you?"

Ginny blinked back more tears, not wanting to cry anymore. However her efforts were in vain "No. I'm just so embarrassed about last night." Now the tears were freely falling. The elf reached out and gently squeezed her hand. Ginny let out a sob.

"There are very clear rules about touching a Human in this house!" Lucius barked. Neither Ginny or Winny heard him open the door. Winny jumped back and Ginny's tears stopped that second.

"Winny is very sorry. Winny was not thinking, just Mistress was upset. Winny only wanted to make Mistress feel better," the elf explained fearfully.

"Get out of my sight and go punish yourself!" he ordered the elf. After it popped out of the room Lucius looked at Ginny; clearly she had cried herself to sleep last night. He had seen that look before. "There are things you will have to learn about this house. Now, I found this in my room this morning." He held up her wand. He was once more in his business robes, looking perfect and ready to head out for the day. She watched as he placed it on the bedside table.

"Thanks," Ginny muttered.

He detested people muttering. "What was that? I didn't quite hear you."

Ginny sighed deeply. "I said thanks," she said forcefully.

"I also wanted to inform you that the wards will allow you to Apparate out, but I still need to change them to allow you back in alone."

"Oh. Well, I was going to head home today."

"This is now your home," he pointed out.

"I know. I mean, I have to tell my family, and finish getting ready for school. Mum has planned this late lunch for today to send me off to school. I figured I would tell them then."

"Should I join you?"

"Sure! They will kill you and then I will be free!"

"You don't think I'm capable of defending myself?"

"Against ten all at one time? Hell, they love me and I wonder if I will make it out alive." Secretly she was relieved to have to return to the Manor tonight.

"Well, you still can't get back into the Manor. Perhaps I should pick you up at five at the boundary to your childhood home."

"Sure. If I head anywhere else I'll Floo you," she offered.

"That's acceptable. We will then go over the things you must be aware of tonight. However, be warned that the kitchen staff will be looking for your orders as to the meals for the day. The same will apply any day you are here. It's the Mistress of the Manor's place to see to the meal arrangements."

"Wonderful," Ginny replied sarcastically.

"Ginevra, this only has to be as bad as we make it."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I did not know that. In that case, can you tell me where I can get a matching tattoo to yours?" she asked will mock enthusiasm.

"Don't play with things you know nothing about," he hissed.

"Now that's rich. What's there to know? That you knelt before a half blood who supported your pure blood supremacist beliefs?"

He was on top of her in a second and held her upper arms in his iron fists. "You don't have a clue of what you speak of!"

Instead of being scared, she met his gaze. "That's where you're wrong, Lucius. You see, because you gave me his diary and he possessed me, I know more about him than anyone could ever guess. Everyone thinks that when Harry destroyed the diary that everything went back to the way it was. Well, they're wrong. I was left with an imprint of him. I know everything he did at the time the Horcruxes were made," she explained.

His gaze didn't move from her eyes; steel blue met green. "You lie; if that were true, then Potter would have known where each of those Horcruxes were." His grip on her tightened.

She would not show him he was hurting her. "I don't understand it, but I believe it had something to do with the fact he was using my life force to bring himself back. I didn't carry a piece of him around my whole life. It was as if..." She looked for the right words, "Our souls intermingled."

The look on Lucius' face changed, as though he was trying to figure out what this would mean. After a second or two he let go of her. "Have you told anyone about this?"

"No, everyone was happy believing everything was like before. I saw no reason to disappoint them." She wished she could rub some feeling back into her arms.

There was nothing either one could say at that moment. Lucius finally repeated, "As I said, this only needs to be as bad as we make it. We both would do well to remember that."

"Fine; you keep you thoughts about me and my family to yourself, and I will try to keep my thoughts about your past to myself. Fair enough?"

"That's a good place to start. I'll collect you at five." He then turned on his heel and left.

Ginny decided to take her time before heading to the Burrow. She went back to the bathroom and filled the large, deep tub with very warm water. She undressed and slipped in; the warm water felt good on her sore muscles. After sitting in the tub that seemed to have a charm on it because the water didn't cool off, Ginny got out after an hour. She felt a little better as she got dressed again and and charmed the wrinkles out of her sun dress. She then headed for the Burrow.

She Apparated to the back door and then walked in. Molly was already cooking up a storm, but she stopped to greet her daughter. "There you are! I was starting to get worried. I think I have to fine tune my clock." She glanced at the family clock, hanging in the kitchen, that now showed Ginny as visiting. "You see, I think one of the boys tried to tamper with it so I wouldn't know where they were. All last night it said you were home."

"Oh?" Ginny looked around the kitchen; her mother had gone all out for this afternoon. "Mum, you really have outdone yourself."

"Well, this is the last time I will be sending a child off to school." She paused as she looked intently at Ginny. "Dear, what's wrong?"

"I just spent last night trying to figure out a lot of things. I didn't sleep much either."

"Ginny, you must do what's right for you. None of us will hold it against you for following your heart."

Ginny nodded in reply, then said, "I still have some packing to do. I think I'll head up and finish it." She excused herself, and once she got to her room she closed the door and cried. She knew in a matter of hours her family would all be very upset with her and it might take years for them to understand her reasons. After shedding a few tears, she wiped her face and then looked around the room. She spent most of her life in this room. This was always her own space; no one ever came in without her permission. When you looked around the room, there were mementos from her whole life. Above the head of her bed was her christening gown, there was a movie poster from a Muggle movie her father had taken her to the first weekend after Ron went to Hogwarts, and a large teddy bear that sat in the far corner wore her first Weasley jumper. She knew that in a box in her closet was the dried rose that Michael Corner had given her. She did not keep it as a reminder of him, but as a symbol of the passage from being a girl to being a young woman. To the unknowing eye, most of the stuff had no meaning.

On her bedside table was the ring Harry had given her two weeks ago. She had taken it off yesterday before leaving. It seemed wrong to wear what was supposed to be her engagement ring to marry another man. She walked over to her bed, sat down on it, and picked up the ring. "Harry, please forgive me," she said quietly to the empty room. A single tear slid down her face. She knew that of everyone there tonight, Harry was the only one who wouldn't see a benefit to her marriage. But he was a handsome guy who already had girls throwing themselves at him. After all, he was the boy who defeated Voldemort. She was sure he could find happiness, too.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Confrontation

By two in the afternoon, Ginny had packed most of her life into her trunk, even though many of the things had to be minimized to fit. She was unsure as to whether it was laughable or sad that her whole life could fit into one trunk. Before heading downstairs, she looked at what was left in the room; mostly childhood things that she couldn't bear to throw away, but felt would seem childish to take with her. The walls still held her christening gown and the movie poster. She hoped that in time she would be welcome to return to this room if she ever needed to.

Ginny pulled the door closed and parked her trunk in the hall next to her door so she could get it later. She then heard voices in the house; her brothers were arriving. She had decided to wait until shortly before Lucius would arrive to tell them; that way she could get away quickly. She shook her head at the idea of looking forward to Lucius Malfoy arriving!  _ It's not that I like him, I just don't know how long I can handle everyone being upset with me,  _ she thought to herself. When she got downstairs, Bill and Fleur had just arrived and Fleur was already helping in the kitchen. Charlie was talking with Bill. Ginny went over to her mum. "Can I help, Mum?"

"No, no, dear. Go talk with your brothers."

When she walked into the living room, Bill looked up at her. He didn't smile at her, but rose and looked at Charlie. "Excuse us, brother. Ginny, come outside with me."

She nodded and figured he had something to tell her about the curse. They walked in silence for a bit. "Gin, do you have something to tell everyone?"

No, he couldn't know! "No," she replied, trying to sound calm.

Bill stopped walking and turned towards her. "Then I guess you can't tell me why my goblin boss told me to extend his congratulations on your marriage to Lucius Malfoy?"

"Perhaps he heard of the betrothal?" she tried to guess.

"No, Ginny. You see, the bank itself is magical. The minute a marriage is official, the bride's name is added to her husband's personal accounts. Walder found it with the recent account changes this morning," he quietly explained.

She had tears in her eyes. "It's true!"

"I know that! Why, Ginny?"

"I did it for you, and the others. Please, I planned on telling you all today. Just let me have a couple more hours before I tell them."

He, too, had tears in his eyes. "Ginny, you didn't have to!"

"Please, Bill! Don't cry."

"Don't cry? My baby sister felt she had to prostitute herself for everyone else's sake. Ginny, don't you get why we all fought in the war? It was for you, so you wouldn't become some breeder to people like him!"

"Bill, please try to see it from my point-"

"You don't understand; we would have been okay. Things would have worked out somehow." He paused. "I'm not going to make you go through this twice. I'm sure last night was difficult enough for you. I'm just sorry you didn't have more faith in us." Bill was not mad, but instead appeared to be very hurt. "Let's head back to the house."

"Thanks, Bill. I never wanted to hurt you all. I-"

"Leave it for now. Come on." He turned back towards the house.

When they arrived back, Fleur asked, "Where did you two go off to?"

"I was just sharing some head student advice with Ginny," he explained.

"Well, Ron and George should be home any time. Hermione promised to drag Percy away from his desk, but it must be taking her longer than she anticipated. And Harry Flooed; he had a meeting come up, so he will be late," Molly explained.

As usual the table was set up out in the backyard. Ginny, Molly, and Fleur began taking out the food and the men gathered. Ron and George arrived first, then shortly after, Hermione arrived with Percy. They both looked like they were in bad moods. Ginny tried to enjoy the meal and the interaction of her family. This was peace and she truly didn't want to disturb it. Four o'clock arrived and she still waited for Harry; she only wanted to do this once. But when four-thirty came around, she knew she had to do it now.

"I have some news to share!" Hermione said before Ginny could speak. Everyone stopped and listened. "I'm going back to Hogwarts to finish my seventh year," she happily explained.

This news was met with happiness. Molly looked at Ron. "You should do the same, Ronald. " He ignored her comment.

"Um, I have something to tell you all," Ginny said as she stood up. "Last night I told you all I was spending the evening with Luna and Neville. Well, I wasn't. Last night I married Lucius-"

"Ginny!"

"Ginevra!"

"Oh my God!"

"No, Ginny!"

"We told you we would be fine!"

"How could you?"

"Relax, it can be annulled," came her father's voice.

"No, Daddy; it's done. We're officially husband and wife."

"Ginny, why didn't you tell us what you were planning to do?" Fleur asked.

"Because if I had you all would have tried to stop me. It doesn't matter now; it's done and there is no turning back." She didn't know what to think; she had expected them all to be mad. This was shock, and disappointment, as if they all understood her reasons. Perhaps her brothers were all happy she had done this. Their lives could carry on unaffected now. She was surprised to find herself getting mad about how they were all taking it. She then glanced at her mother, who had tears pouring down her face. It made her feel a little better to see someone was clearly upset. However, even this reaction was wrong; she expected her mother to yell, scream, and rant. "Please know I did this because I want you all to be happy."

"And you think we could all be happy knowing he's forcing himself on you?" Bill questioned.

Ginny realized that Bill was more angry now than earlier. He must be getting over the shock of it and moving on to being mad. She then guessed it would be the same for all of them. "I need to be going."

"Why? Why do you need to go?" Ron asked.

"Ron, you'll understand when you're married," Arthur explained. He got up and moved towards Ginny. "Is your trunk ready?" She nodded. He drew his wand. "Accio Ginny's trunk." After a second or two her trunk came down the stairs and through the kitchen door. "How are you getting back to the Manor?"

"Apparating," came her answer.

"I'll walk you to the point." Once they moved away from the others, he asked, "How are you getting past his wards?"

"Lucius said he would meet me at the boundary to the property," she sadly explained.

"Ginny, you knew all along you were going to do this, right?"

"No, I didn't. I had decided when it was Draco that I would if I had to."

"Ginny, I'm really disappointed you didn't speak to me beforehand."

"I'm sorry, Daddy."

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine; really, Daddy." Harry just then Apparated ahead of them. He looked very happy. "Dad, I need to tell Harry. It would be best if we were alone."

Arthur nodded. "I'll owl you."

"I love you, Daddy." He smiled weakly and turned to head back to the house.

Harry came over. "Ginny, I have a surprise for you!" he said happily.

"Harry, I have something to tell you, too."

"Fine, but let me go first. I just finished with Professor McGonagall. She has had the worst time filling the Defense Against the Dark Arts position because of the curse. She asked me to take it because if anyone could beat the curse, I could! I will be at Hogwarts all year!"

"That's- Wow! Harry, I need to return this to you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring he had given her. "Harry, last night I married Lucius." She could feel the tears burning her eyes.

Harry's face held no expression. After two full minutes of silence, he spoke, "What?"

"I did it, Harry. I'm sorry! I didn't want to hurt you, but I had no choice!"

"No choice? No fucking choice? You married a Death Eater! Perhaps you missed it, but they lost the war!"

"I did not miss it; I know what I did! I had to, for my family!"

"Your family? Guess what? None of them wanted this!" He paused, then made a face like he had just realized something.. "You know what? You're nothing but an opportunistic, gold digging whore!" He shoved her out of the way and stormed past her.

Ginny then watched as he Apparated away. She stared at the spot where he disappeared from for a few minutes. She knew he would be mad and hurt. She had hoped he would understand. Really, she had just done the same thing he had; she gave up her life for those she loved.

"Are you ready to leave?" Lucius asked. He had arrived in time to see her tell Potter, but neither of the young people had noticed. It made Lucius wonder how Potter had not been captured earlier; the boy clearly was so unaware of his own surroundings.

Ginny took a moment to regain control of herself, then reached down to where her father had placed her trunk and lifted it up before turning to face Lucius. "Yes, I'm ready." She stepped towards him. Lucius reached out and took the trunk from her, then placed his arm around her and Apparated them home. This time they arrived in Lucius' study. It was a handsome room, very well appointed. It had a clearly masculine feel to it. "Winny said dinner would be served at seven," Ginny informed him.

"Good, that will give us time to go over a few things first," he said as he removed his business cloak, leaving him in only his slacks and dress shirt.

"Could it wait for a bit? I need some time to be alone."

He considered this for a long time. While he heard most of what was said between her and Potter, he didn't understand why she was so upset by Potter's actions. "Why did his reaction affect you so much?" he asked.

Ginny stared at him.  _ Did he expect me to open up to him? s _ he wondered. What did it matter anyway? She was sure he would find out soon enough. "On my birthday, Harry had asked me to marry him," she admitted.

_ This made more sense now; she was in love with Potter,  _ he thought. He then replied, "I understand, but we do need to go over some things before you leave tomorrow. Do you think you will be ready after dinner?"

"Yes. Thank you," she muttered, then slowly made her way out of the room.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Settling In**

Now Lucius understood why Ginevra didn't fight with Potter. He took his time to reflect on this information and to decide what to do about it. He also reflected on how Draco took the news of the marriage. Lucius was extremely proud of Draco. The year he had been in Azkaban had been good for Draco, putting aside being ordered to kill Dumbledore. It had changed Draco from a spoiled brat to a mature young man. The Draco of the past would have pitched a fit over the fact Lucius had married again, and not even two weeks after Narcissa's death, never mind the fact of who his new bride was. But this matured Draco took the news well and realized why his father did it. He even thanked Lucius.

Draco was in his room when he heard crying coming from down the hall, so he went to investigate the source of the noise. It was in the Rose room, two doors down from his. He remembered Lucius saying that that was the room Ginny was to take up residence in. He turned on his heel and headed down to his father's study. After being invited in, he poured himself some Firewhiskey. He and his father exchanged long looks, then Draco stated, "She's in the Rose room, crying."

Lucius nodded and asked, "What do you know about her and Potter?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I think she's always had a thing for him. That day in Diagon Alley before her first year, she defended him before you entered. She made him a pathetic valentine that year. Toward the end of her fifth year, they started dating. I had almost forgotten about her until that time, and by then she was considered quite the catch. I heard the next year that he had broken things off. Rumor had it he was doing it to protect her. Despite the efforts of most of the school's male population, she remained single last year."

"I witnessed her and Potter talking about our marriage. He was unhappy, and she informed me that he had asked her to marry him on her birthday."

Draco snickered. "I would have loved to see that."

"Draco, tell me: from what you know of her, what do you think her reaction to being called a 'gold digging whore' would be?"

"How many pieces of him were left?" he asked through his laughter.

"I thought as much. She allowed him to get away with it."

"What? No! I don't know her that well, but..."

"I know. She has insulted me and fought me enough times already for me to realize earlier today was not the real Ginevra. I don't know how her family is taking the news, however I think it's a good sign that no one has shown up to try to kill me yet."

"What's your plan with her, Father?"

"Plan? Plan? I don't have one yet. We must have a child together. We are bonded to each other until death." He then smirked. "There is passion there. I think for me it would be good to find a way to make it work with her."

"Passion? I would guess hatred, but not passion," Draco replied.

"Love and hate are simply two sides of the same coin; two extremely powerful emotions, Draco. That's why you'll never be happy with Pansy; the two of you are too much alike. Trust me, if you find someone who makes your blood boil one way or another, you'll be better off. Oh, and one more thing as far as Ginevra goes; she needs understanding of what she's going through right now."

Draco looked surprised at this. "Understanding of a Weasley, Father?"

"Draco, remember I'm not the only one who has made a sacrifice here. Yes, she may not care about whether the Malfoy line continues or not, but without her consent I would not have been able to make this sacrifice. And until she is with child, the curse will remain."

"Are you only being understanding of her until she has your child?"

"I'm saying that she has the ultimate control at this moment, and at this point in the game we would do well not to upset her any more than necessary."

"But Father, you said that a life bond was made," Draco stressed.

"It was, but Draco, even if she does have to have sex with me to stay alive, there are ways to prevent pregnancy. And even ways to end it."

"But you can place a magical protection on a child once it is conceived, right?"

"Yes, if I'm aware of the child, but there are ways around that too. I once heard of a Muggle way to end a pregnancy by ripping it from the uterus in its early stages of development."

Draco got a look of disgust on his face. "That's barbaric!"

"Yes it is, but with Ginevra, we must remember who her father is and his love of Muggle things. We must assume that she knows of the barbaric ways of Muggles."

"Father, from what little I know about her, I still don't think she could do  that ."

"Under most circumstances, perhaps not, but we don't know how her family is taking the news; which is why we must be understanding... you maybe even more than me. Because of our history, my attempts at understanding may not be met happily."

"Surely, she has friends who could be there for her. She seemed quite close to Neville Longbottom and Loony Lovegood."

"Draco, your aunt and uncle are the ones responsible for Longbottom's parents being in St. Mungo's all these years, and do you forget that Miss Lovegood was kept in the dungeons of this very home? Her friends may not be understanding either. She could find herself very alone in the world," Lucius concluded.

Meanwhile Ginny sat in her room crying. She did what she had to for her family. She broke Harry's heart, but really, she was doing what was best for everyone. She needed this time to cry for she had already made up her mind; she would have this one last cry and then move on. She hoped Luna would understand. Luna was easily the most open minded person she had ever meet.

As for her husband, she wondered what was in store for her there. Was last night part of some head game to him? Was the next time going to be hell? Or did the man possibly have a soul after all? She doubted it. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door. She stopped crying and looked at the door. "J-just a minute," she called out, then ran for the adjoining bathroom and quickly washed her face. She didn't want anyone, especially a Malfoy, to see her crying. She quickly dried her face and opened the door, only to find Lucius standing on the other side. He had changed from his business attire and was now wearing tailored casual slacks and a navy polo style top. His long hair hung loosely around his shoulders.

As he looked at her he could tell she had been crying, but decided not to bring it up. "I don't know how much time you spent here in the Manor today, but I believed that there was a chance you might get lost looking for the dining room."

She remembered her words about this only being as hard as they made it out to be. If he was trying to be civil, she would too. "Thank you." As he moved away from the doorway she stepped out of the room.

He then offered her his arm, which she hesitantly took, allowing him to lead her to the dining room. "The room you have been staying in is only a guest room. I think you might be more comfortable in a family bedroom," Lucius said in an attempt to make conversation.

"That's a guest room?" He nodded. "Well, I really like it. Honestly. There's a lot of pink there."

"You like pink?" he questioned.

"I think it was because I could never wear it, so it just made me like pink more," she explained.

They continued in silence until they reached the bottom of the stairs, then Lucius said, "I told Draco earlier." Lucius was stealing glances at her, and even he had to admit she was putting up a brave front.

"How did he take the news?" she asked.

"He understands the position that we both were in. He is joining us for dinner tonight." She nodded and as they reached the dining room he felt her draw herself up even more. This made him smirk; the forever brave little Gryffindor.

The dining room was informal and not at all what Ginny had been expecting. Instead of a table that went on forever, this table would fit six comfortably, yet it was still rectangular in shape. There was blue above the wainscoting and the walls were a pale blue in color. When they entered the room Draco rose from the table and greeted them. "Father," he paused to consider Ginny, "What should I call you?" he asked, politely.

"I have always been most comfortable with Ginny," she replied.

"You will refer to her by her proper name," Lucius stated. He then led Ginny to the seat at the right of the head of the table and pulled out the chair for her. Before he sat down himself, a slim man entered the room.

"I'm sorry sir, but your New York office is on the Floo. They say it is important," the man informed Lucius.

"Thank you, Paul. Excuse me Ginevra, Draco."

"Father, do you want me to join you?" Draco asked.

"No, stay here with Ginevra." Lucius then left the room.

Draco watched Ginny for a moment; she didn't touch the food that had appeared in front of her. "He could be an hour or more. You'll learn to not wait for him." Ginny nodded, picked up her fork, and poked at the salad in front of her. "He's always been weird about proper names. It doesn't make much sense. I mean, how many Lucius' or Dracos have you ever heard of?"

"Not that many, I guess," she said, then popped a cherry tomato in her mouth.

"So, do you have any guesses on who the Head Boy and Girl will be this year?"

"Head Boy, no. I could never guess who."

"And Head Girl?" he questioned.

"That would be me."

"McGonagall was- er, congratulations!" Draco shifted uncomfortably. "I'm going to say this just to get it out... This is weird."

"You're telling me? You're just watching from the sidelines; try living it." She hardly looked at him.

"Look, I appreciate what you have done..."

"Yeah? Well, I did it for my family!" She placed her fork back down on her plate.

When Lucius returned, most of the dinner conversation was about business. And while Ginny felt left out, she wondered what they could have talked about that would have included her.

Lucius noticed Ginny was hardly eating any of her meal. "Ginevra, is there something wrong with your food?" He sounded, even to himself, like a father instead of her husband.

"No. It's fine, I'm just not that hungry. We had a late lunch at the Burrow."

Once dinner was over Lucius led Ginny to his study, where she sat on a sofa that was in front of the large fireplace. "There are many things you need to be aware of about living in the Manor. First of all, house elves are not allowed to touch humans. Don't ask me why! Second, whether you like it or not, you are now the Mistress of the Manor. All household issues will be yours to deal with. However, you are lucky in the fact that my late wife had most things planned out almost six months in advance, so you have time to get used to your new role and how things are done. I said before that there are times I will need you home on weekends. I would plan on at least half of your weekends being spent here, and every weekend of December. As well, you should plan on returning to the Manor for all school breaks.. Now, I get the feeling that you are not fully aware of how a marriage bond works."

"What else could there be to understand? I must have sex with you on a regular basis for the rest of our lives or I will lose my magic and die."

"For the most part, that is correct. However, there are some additions to the marriage bond that the Malfoy family has personally added, like the fact that you and I cannot use magic against each other. And do you know what happens if you ignore your body when it is telling you that we need to be together? Do you know the signs you need to look out for?"

"Um, no."

"If you don't listen to your body, at first you will become tired, like you're getting sick. Then you'll notice it will become harder to do simple spells. You will eventually become unconscious, and if that happens, I would have to take you in that state. If I did not, we both would die."

"Thank you for explaining it to me," she said as she began to get up.

"Ginevra, there's more," he said as he stopped her. "At the beginning of the marriage the need to be together is... well, we must be together more often than you might think. If you want to make it until next weekend, we should engage in relations tonight."

"Oh!" She tensed up.

"Relax, we still have time before that tonight." He paused, "There is one other thing; I can't have you leaving tomorrow without this." He got up, made his way over to the desk, and opened a drawer. After selecting something from it, he returned to the sofa where she sat. "This is your wedding ring." He held out a silver and peridot ring in a channel-like setting. She looked at it and slowly reached up to take it from him. She then examined it and frowned. "Every Malfoy bride wears this design. The only difference is the stone. It alway is the bride's birthstone."

"It's nice, I guess."

"It's a ring you should be proud to wear. Or is it just the events of our wedding that make you unhappy?"

"It's a lovely ring, really. I just always hated my birthstone," she explained, still holding the ring in her hand.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Because, well, look at it! It looks like it's dirty."

"I would like you to be pleased to wear your ring. There are times when the stones are different from the birthstone. However, I'm guessing you would be unhappy with that, too."

She looked at him, puzzled. "Why?"

"Because when the stone is different, it's still in the same color family. The only possibility would be an emerald."

"Honestly, I would rather have emeralds than these," she decided, surprising him again. He reached out and took the ring from her.

"I will have a new one ready before you leave tomorrow."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, but that was not what I was asking 'why' for. I wanted to know why you care about me being happy."

"I'm trying to make this work!" he said with more force than he had planned.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"How did your family take the news?" he inquired, more calmly.

"They, I think, were still in shock when I left. I expected them to explode, but they didn't, really."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

**Mrs. Malfoy Goes To Hogwarts**

The next morning when Ginny woke she was in unfamiliar surroundings. As the fogginess of her brain cleared she remembered the events of last night. She had allowed Lucius to sleep with her again, but as a result she wouldn't have to return to the Manor before the weekend. Once more he surprised her at how the night went. She was ashamed to admit it, but he had skillfully brought her to a point where she was so filled with desire that she would have done anything he requested just so her pleasure could continue.

She couldn't understand why her body betrayed her in such a way. How was it that a man who almost killed her as a child could leave her whimpering with a simple touch? She could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment at the memories of the things she had done. Last night had seemed to be a trade off of 'If you do this, I will do that.' She concluded that if she had to be married to him and if sex was going to continue like this, then maybe great sex would be her reward. However, she was more upset with herself for remaining here and sleeping in his bed. As she took a moment to reflect, she was glad to be alone in the room.

She felt worse about sleeping in his bed than about having enjoyed sex with him. The fact that she had allowed herself to be that relaxed was not good, never mind that at this point she believed that to sleep with someone was more personal that having sex with them. Ginny's thoughts were disturbed by Winny popping into the room.

"Mistress, Master says if yous not wanting to be late, yous need to get up now." Ginny only nodded in reply. "Should Winny bring Mistress a change of clothing here?"

"No! I will go back to my room."

The house elf smiled at the young woman in front of her. "Breakfast will be ready when yous get downstairs."

"Thank you, Winny," Ginny said as she sat up in the bed. Once the elf popped out of the room Ginny quickly redressed and left as fast as she could. She prayed she wouldn't run into Draco. She could just imagine the comment he might make. Luck was on Ginny's side this morning, though, and once she slipped into her room she headed for the shower.

Once showered and changed she headed down to the dining room, where she found Lucius sitting at the head of the table reading the paper. She had hoped he would have left for the office already, like yesterday. When she stepped into the room, he looked up, rose, and once more pulled out her chair for her. As she glanced down at her place setting, she was surprised to see a ring box sitting on the plate.

"Good morning, Ginevra." The second he said her name she could feel her cheeks burn again.

"Lucius," she acknowledged.

He looked at her for a long moment. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about; besides, your reaction is quite normal."

"Could we not talk about it?" she spat.

Lucius chuckled. "Yes, if it makes you uncomfortable." He pointed to the ring box in front of her. "Open it."

She reached out and picked up the box, then opened it. Inside was the same ring design as he had given her the night before, only with emeralds instead. It amazed her how much more she liked the ring with the dark green stones instead of pale green ones. "It's beautiful," she commented, then pulled it out of the box.

"Let me place it on you." He took the ring from her and slid it onto her finger. "Ginevra, there are a few things you need to be aware of before you leave today. As you know, because of my actions at the end of the war, you, as my wife, will need to be very careful around people you don't know. Some people will believe that the betrothal was a smoke screen and rumors are likely to fly about Narcissa's death and our quick marriage afterwards. Some will most likely believe that there was something going on before she died. The point is: people who are not happy with me could decide to take that revenge on me, out on you."

"I never thought about that."

"No, because your mind was on your family. Watch who your friends are, and be careful. Also, your name was already added to my personal accounts, so if you need anything at school simply charge it to the accounts."

"I know my name was added. My brother Bill works at the bank."

"That's right; it must have slipped my mind."

"He knew before anyone else, and his boss passed on his congratulations."

"Goblins! Sneaky little bastards! Never trust them and always keep all your receipts. My accountant checks them against the bank's records."

"Bill has always said that you just need to understand their way of thinking. Then you can at least understand them."

"Understanding them doesn't make them trustworthy," Lucius growled.

"They most likely feel the same about us."

"Do you want me to take you to King's Crossing?" he asked, changing the subject.

"No, I'll be fine on my own, but thank you for offering." They then fell quiet. Ginny did appreciate the fact that he was trying, more than she would have ever guessed.

Once on the train Ginny and Luna sat together. After ten minutes of waiting for Ginny to explain that Floo call to her, Luna finally exploded. "So? Are you going to explain that Floo call to my place?"

Ginny bit her lip, then asked, "Promise not to be mad at me?"

"Of course, Ginny! You're my closest friend."

Ginny held out her hand that she had been hiding under a sweater she had brought with her, revealing her wedding ring. "I married him."

Luna took in the ring before replying, "Without telling your family?"

"If I had told them they would have done anything to stop me. They might not like this, but it's best for them in the long run."

"Is it done?" Luna referred to the consummation of the marriage vows.

"Yes."

"How bad was it?" Luna asked, looking concerned.

Ginny knew her whole face was red with a blush. "No."

"What?" Luna probed.

"Well, let's just say that if I have to spend my life in a loveless marriage, at least it looks like the sex will he great."

"At least that's something." There was a knock on the compartment door and the girls looked up to see Hermione.

After stepping in, Hermione spoke, "Do you mind if I join you two? I don't really know anyone else that well." She seemed quite nervous.

"Of course not." Luna patted the seat next to herself.

Hermione sat down and eyed Ginny. "Ginny, you really didn't have to marry him."

"Hermione, what choice did I have? To get married and see my brothers' lives changed for the better, or not marry him and pretend to be happy when I know the boys could have been happier if I had. I believe I did the right thing."

"Everyone was really shocked after you left. Your mum asked me to give you this." Hermione pulled out a letter and handed it to Ginny.

As she took it, Ginny's hand shook. Luna turned to Hermione and started talking about the upcoming school year. "I'm guessing that Neville won't be marking anyone above a third year this year."

Ginny opened the sealed envelope and unfolded the neatly handwritten parchment. It read:

_ Ginny, _

_ I don't know what to say! I never expected you to marry that man, but I'm guessing you were thinking about everyone else but yourself. That's very admirable and it makes me very proud of you, but when I think of you having to spend the rest of your life with him, it does make my blood run cold! _

_ I remember when you were born! I was so pleased to finally have a girl! In the second you were handed to me, I saw your whole life flash before me. I looked forward to all the mother/daughter moments we would have. Now it bothers me that we will never have the chat about what to expect on your wedding night when you're looking forward to being with a man you love. Or that I couldn't help you plan your wedding. But this isn't about me; it's about my little girl. I don't know if that man has a soul, but I hope you weren't hurt. I want you to know that no matter what, you will always be welcome in my home. Please Ginny, don't let this come between us! _

_ Your father and brothers were devastated that you felt you had to do this. I want you to know that if they seem different or even say unkind things to you, it's only because they don't know how to deal with their guilt over the fact that you believed you had to marry him. I'm really worried about Bill, though. As the evening went on, he went from being mad to maybe falling into depression! Perhaps you could write him. I too look forward to hearing from you. _

_ Mum. _

As Ginny folded the letter up, Luna and Hermione's attention returned to Ginny. Hermione spoke first. "Ginny, how is he treating you?"

Ginny was unsure how to respond. "We came to an agreement about treating each other fairly and with respect. He seems to be understanding of how I feel and has been a gentleman so far. Draco even acted like a human at dinner last night. He made civilized conversation!"

"I remember he was reluctant to admit that I was me when the snatcher brought us to the Manor. Maybe he's growing up." Hermione paused. "Have you talked to Harry?"

Ginny sadly nodded. "Yes, and he was very upset."

Hermione bit her lip. "He's going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year."

"I know. He told me before I told him about Malfoy."

"How are you going to handle him?" Luna asked.

"I don't know. He was pretty upset yesterday, but I guess I'll wait and see how he's dealing with it." She paused. "Wait, if you knew he was going to be teaching, how did you not know about me telling him?"

"I ran into him on my way out after talking to the Headmistress. She had said she was going to ask him," Hermione explained. She knew that since Harry's comment about her and him having a child together, anything that seemed like the two were close was a sore spot for Ginny.


	13. This Could Be the Start of a...Shitty Friendship

**Chapter 13**

**This Could Be the Start of a...Shitty Friendship**

As Ginny walked up the steps to Hogwarts she wondered what the school year would hold for her. She knew that by the end of the year, her life would be very different, and she hoped to be pregnant by then. She knew until she was pregnant the curse on her family would remain. As she stepped through the doors for the first time as a seventh year she found herself feeling sad. She would never again walk through these doors at the beginning of a school year. She glanced around at her classmates and wondered who was feeling the same. She then walked into the Great Hall and took her place at the Gryffindor table. Hermione sat down next to her.

"Ginny, I don't want our friendship to change. Please don't be mad at me because of some stupid comment Harry made," Hermione pleaded.

Ginny made eye contact with her and smiled a small smile. "Hermione, I'm not mad at you, but when Harry made that comment he hit a raw nerve for me. I just need time."

"Okay, I will give you the time you need. Look, here come the teachers!"

Ginny looked up to see most of the regular teachers were filing in, but when she saw Harry stepping out, she quickly looked away. She wouldn't let him see her looking towards him like some lovesick child. Once the teachers all took their seats, Madam Vector led the new batch of first years in and explained how the sorting worked. There were about sixty of them this year, and in the end it seemed pretty evenly split between the four houses. Then Headmistress McGonagall stood up to speak.

"Welcome to our first years, and welcome back to all our returning students. I just have a few things to say: first as most of you know, the Forbidden Forest is still...well, forbidden. Second, in light of recent events, the staff has decided that everyone must try to move past house rivalries, so for a good number of bigger projects within class you will have to partner with someone who is not in your house. See this as a chance to understand someone new. Third, I have some new staff members to introduce to you. Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts will be Professor Harry Potter." There was a lot of cheering that needed to die down before she could continue. "I'm sure I don't need to list his qualifications. Professor Neville Longbottom will be Apprenticing in Herbology, and in January he will take charge totally of the first to fourth years. Next is Oliver Wood, who will be teaching both Transfiguration and Flying. As well, he will be taking on the position of head of Gryffindor house. The last thing I want to mention is our new Head Girl and Head Boy. Could you please stand." Ginny and Michael Corner stood up. "Ginny Malfoy and," Suddenly you could hear a pin drop in the hall as all the students' and some of the staff's mouths fell open, "Michael Corner. If you have any problems, Mrs. Malfoy and Mr. Corner will be able to help you." She then took her seat again as the room filled with whispers about Ginny, while the whole Slytherin table openly stared.

After several minutes, a Slytherin boy in Ginny's year got up and stepped over towards her. "How did you land Draco? You must have talents we never heard of," Harper said, his voice was part shock, part insult, and part in awe.

"I did not marry Draco!" Ginny spat.

Then Astoria Greengrass, who was dating Harper, exclaimed, "Holy shit! She married Lucius Malfoy! What was it, a work release thing, where if he turns you into a respectable lady he stays out of Azkaban?"

Hermione grabbed Ginny's wand hand. "Don't react; that's what they want."

Ginny tried counting to ten before reacting, hoping a teacher would have intervened by then, but no one did. "You shouldn't try to assume anything about me. You will only make yourself look like a fool." The two Slytherins went back to their table, noses in the air.

The rest of the meal passed too slowly for Ginny's liking. It was going to take some time to get used to being the center of attention. As the Prefects led the first years to the dorms, Headmistress McGonagall came to the Gryffindor table. "Ginny, there are a couple of matters I would like to talk to you about. Please come to my office."

Ginny nodded as she watched Luna Lovegood and Hermione disappear from the Great Hall.

Ginny sat in the Headmistress' office. "Your mother came to see me about you and your situation. I can only imagine what you are going through, but I need to tell you a few things you should be aware of. As a married student, there are certain allowances made, like extra weekends home. However, if your husband is mistreating you in any way, I want you to know you can always come to me. I know that there may be things that you don't want to tell your family."

"Thank you."

"And Ginny, this applies not only to your husband, but to anyone whose treatment of you may not be what it should be, my staff included."

"Thanks, Headmistress."

"Has your husband made any requests of you yet?"

"Only that he expects me at the Manor at least half of the weekends and every weekend in December; I think it's mostly when he requires a date for a function."

"If his requests become too much, let me know and I will inform him that his demands are interfering with school."

"Thanks, but I think he doesn't really care. I have already been told that I'm not allowed to work after Hogwarts."

The older woman gasped. "Ginny, never give up your dreams!"

"Oh, I still plan on writing, and I told him as much."

The next morning Ginny walked over to her dresser to get out her clothing for the day. When she went to grab a bra, she discovered that there were additions to the ones she had purchased earlier. Several others were also in the drawer; some dark in color and some lighter, but what caught her attention most was a pale pink one. She pulled it out and found a letter folded into it. It read:

_ Ginevra, _

_ I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of adding to your wardrobe. Please think of this as a wedding gift. You said you like pink, but felt you could never wear it. Well, seeing as how I'm the only person who should ever see your undergarments, you will be able to wear these. You see Ginevra, to a Malfoy all things are possible. _

_ Lucius _

Ginny went through the rest of her things and was relieved that it only seemed to be underwear that he bought. But underwear? How dare he! That was so personal! That meant he went through her underwear drawer! There was a knock on the door. " Who is it?" Ginny called

"It's Luna."

"Come in!"

When Luna entered the room she could tell Ginny was really upset. "Ginny, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?! I'll tell you what's wrong! He went through my underwear!" Ginny ranted.

"Who, Harry?"

"NO! LUCIUS FUCKING MALFOY! He went through them and bought me a whole bunch of new stuff!"

Luna smiled at Ginny. "Gin, he is your husband, and husbands do like to buy stuff like that for their wives."

Ginny sat down on her bed. "But it's so personal!" she whined.

Luna sat down next to her. "You did say he was trying, right? Have you and he really talked about your expectations?"

"No. I mean, I sure don't want him going through my underwear."

Luna got up, walked over to the open drawer, and looked at the contents. "How do you know he went through your stuff?"

"He got the sizes right."

Luna looked at several of the sets Lucius had bought. "Ginny, this is really high quality stuff. He must have spent a fortune on you!"

"Don't remind me!"

"Ginny, don't get upset; talk to him about this when you see him. And remember that he was married for many years before, so as a husband he would have no problem going into his wife's underwear drawer. Perhaps he never thought that you would view it as a privacy issue. But we need to get to breakfast."

Ginny quickly dressed and headed down to the Great Hall, only to be stared at again. However, this time when she entered, she noticed Harry looking around the room for her as he talked with Hermione and a couple other Gryffindors. She quickly looked away and headed to the Ravenclaw table with Luna. "Do you mind if the Head Girl sits here this morning?"

Michael looked up at her and gave her a smile "Yeah, we need to talk about the Prefects."

"Yes, you're right."

"Look Ginny, I know it's going to be weird seeing as how we dated before, but I was hoping we could just try to be friends and work together."

She smiled at the boy. "Sure. Somehow I don't think I should push any friends away this year."

"Oh, the Headmistress wanted us to hand out the class schedules once breakfast is done."

When Ginny saw her own schedule her day went from bad to worse; her first class was DADA, with the Slytherins yet. When she entered the room Harper and some of the other Slytherin boys were betting on how Harry would die, until they saw her. "Hey Wea- Malfoy, I guess all you have to do is spread your legs and you'll pass this class. Potty is going to be so easy on you!" The other boys started to laugh.

"As you pointed out, she's a Malfoy now. I would think, given their history, Harry will be harder on her," Hermione tried to help. Ginny would only smile. "Come on, I saved you a seat." Hermione dragged her up to the front of the class. When Harry entered and began the class, Ginny stared very hard at the cover of her textbook until the end of the period.

Once class was over Ginny tried to rush out; however she wasn't quick enough. "Ginny, could I have a word with you?" Harry asked.

Ginny groaned loud enough for Hermione to hear as the Slytherin boys made more lewd comments. "Just get it over with," Hermione encouraged.

Once the last of the other students left the room, Harry used his wand to close the door. He then came over to her. "Ginny, I'm sorry for how I treated you the other day."

"Professor, I really don't think-"

"Ginny don't, don't treat me like that," he pleaded. "I just want to talk to you."

"Then talk," she said curtly.

"Look, I have thought about it and I don't care if you married him..." He reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "That's not true; I can't stand the idea of him touching you."

_ I have enough on my plate right now and I really don't need Harry's issues too, _ she thought to herself. To him, she explained, "You are my professor and this conversation is not appropriate. I need to get to my next class." She turned to leave, but he caught her arm.

"Ginny, I'm trying to say I'm sorry. You don't understand how hurt I am."

Ginny couldn't believe he was trying to make this about him! "How hard this is on  you ? Oh, I'm sorry, Harry! Maybe I was too caught up in the fact that I have to spend the rest of my life married to a man who tried to kill me as a child! Or the fact that I hurt my whole family, but in the long run it's better for them! Or the fact that I will never be made love to by someone  I love! Or the fact that I will have to have the child of a man who is only with me so his family name will go on! I forgot that I'm supposed to think about how this will affect  you , a man who, while you won't marry your school sweetheart, can still marry for love! And that the woman who bears your children will love you! But really, you were willing to have Hermione bear your children, so I guess that doesn't matter to you!" she screamed. Then she ran out of the room, tears pouring down her cheeks.

For the first time in her life, she didn't care who saw her crying as she ran through the corridors. She didn't head for the dorm rooms, as one would have guessed. Instead, she went to a place that she knew no one would think to look for her; Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She opened the Chamber of Secrets and slid down to the passageway that led to the Chamber. Once there, she completely fell apart, at least feeling safe in the knowledge that no one could find her there.

  
  



	14. Chapter 14

**No Curses Today; I'm Too Tired**

Hours later Ginny rose from the spot she was in and began to head towards the Chamber itself. She needed to do this; she needed closure on the issues. As she stepped into the Chamber she saw the remains of the Basilisk, but her mind flashed images of what took place before Harry had arrived.

Ginny had never told anyone, but when Tom revealed the truth of his intentions to her, she had been heartbroken. She did not love him, but he was her closest friend. She had been embarrassed and ashamed that she had trusted him so much, and not because he was Voldemort. It was because she did not see through what he was doing to her.

Right now, she wished that Harry had never saved her from down here; then none of this mess would be happening. She spent a long time in the Chamber before returning to the school. She had only missed one class, but it was of little concern. She always excelled at Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall had told her last year there was no need for her to take the class this year, but Ginny still needed to finish this year so she could register her Animagus form of a horse. Finally, she returned to the school and headed to the kitchens, as it was now after supper. After getting some food she headed back to her room, but ran into the Headmistress in the Great Hall.

"Mrs. Malfoy- Ginevra, I heard you missed a class today. Would you like to talk about it?"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'm just a little messed up right now," Ginny explained.

"Come with me." The older woman turned and headed towards the Headmaster's office. Once inside, she turned back to Ginny. "I heard that you and Professor Potter may have had words." Ginny nodded. "Normally, having words like that with a professor would be a reason for points to be taken away, but in light of things I will allow it to pass. This kind of thing, like professor/student relationships, is one of the reasons such young professors are frowned upon. Ginevra, if you have any more issues with Potter, please come to me."

"Thank you. He had kind of trapped me and I got very upset and was not thinking rationally."

"Is your recent marriage a part of the problem?" Ginny nodded again. McGonagall smiled at the young woman in front of her. "Ginevra, I know you would never have married him if you didn't have to. I understand the scars that are on you because of him. And even if he was a Death Eater, his family means the world to him. Whether your family wants to admit it or not, there is a lot in common, so try to find a way to make this work. Now, as far as Professor Potter goes, I shall remind him that he is a professor and should not be having conversations of a personal nature with students. That should help. Try not to be too upset with him; he thinks too much with his heart at times."

The next day, classes were pretty normal. Ginny only had two; Potions and Herbology. Potions had always been her favorite, however it was better when Professor Snape taught them. He challenged her to do better than average, and it was only recently that she began to question why. She wondered if it was because in some way she reminded him of Lily Potter. Well, she would never know now.

She did notice that as she walked the halls students were whispering and pointing as they talked about her, but she felt they had no place to talk. The choices she made were the right ones in the long run, even if it meant having to return to Malfoy Manor on a regular basis.

Actually, so far Lucius had not been too bad about this. He could have forced himself on her, but instead he put an effort into making sure she enjoyed her first time. He had yet to openly insult her. He bought her some very expensive underwear. It made her wonder who he really was and what he had done with the real Lucius Malfoy. Perhaps he was in some odd mental state after the loss of his wife.

On Wednesday, Ginny got past being overly upset about him having gone through her underwear and decided to wear the hot pink set he had included. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she found she quite liked the way the bra shaped her breasts. It gave them support without taking away from the natural shape they had. And the cut on the panties made her short but well shaped legs look longer. She then slipped on her school uniform. As she went about her day, she found that knowing she was wearing the pink set made her feel sexy to the point of even affecting the way she carried herself. The way it made her feel must have been clear because the male population seemed to notice her more than usual. This caused her to begin to perhaps think too much about Lucius.

Thursday morning Ginny almost overslept. She dragged herself out of bed and headed down, skipping breakfast and going straight to Transfiguration. She arrived earlier than the rest of the class and found Professor Wood already in the classroom. As she stepped into the room and looked for a seat, Wood looked up at her. "Ginny, right?" She nodded. "I'm glad you're early. I wanted a word with you."

"'Kay,"Ginny replied.

"As you were Quidditch captain last year, I assume you are aware you will be again this year?"

She looked at him. "I don't know if I can. I plan on being pregnant before the end of the school year."

"Ginny, are you aware that I'm on very good terms with your brother Charlie?"

"Honestly, not really."

He smiled at her. "Well, I am. You say you're planning on being pregnant? Well, you of all people should know life doesn't always work out as we plan. Look, you have the skills and experience, so you're perfect to be captain. And if life works out as you're hoping, then for the rest of the year you could captain from the sidelines. So many people were lost in the war. Your house needs your team leadership this year."

His words were bringing tears to her eyes, but she was fighting them off. "Thank you for saying that, but I don't know if they want me, with respect to my new name."

He nodded. "Malfoy...I can understand why you say that, but Ginny, you need to show them that you're still the same Ginny they all know. Besides, think about how your family will enjoy the fact that a Malfoy helped return the Quidditch Cup to Gryffindor house!" She smiled. "I'll book the pitch for Saturday for tryouts."

"No, that won't work. I'm expected at the Manor on the weekend."

"Right. What day then?"

"Monday should work."

This time he nodded. "If you need a hand just come and talk to me. And Ginny, if you have anything you want to talk about but don't feel comfortable talking to your family, feel free to come to me." Some Hufflepuffs then entered the room.

"Thanks, Professor Wood."

As the day continued, Ginny found herself becoming more emotional and tired. By the time dinner was over she headed straight for her room and went to bed at seven in the evening.

When she got to her last class of the day on Friday, she felt she was going to fall asleep standing up. She couldn't believe how tired she was. She took her seat next to Elizabeth, another Gryffindor, and waited for class to start; not that she really wanted it to for it was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Once class was to end she was to head to the Manor.

Harry walked into class and smiled at the room. "Good afternoon class. You can all put your books away, today will be a practical lesson. If you could all get out of your desks and move to the back of the class, I can clear the room." Everyone did as they were told, and once the desks were moved by magic Harry continued, "Before we go any further, I want you all to know I have the Ministry's permission for what's about to take place." He paused. "Who here doesn't know the three Unforgivables?"

No one raised a hand. "Okay. Miss West, name me one of the three."

The Slytherin girl smiled. "Avada Kedavra, the killing curse."

"Right. Mr. Raymond, another."

The chubby Hufflepuff boy muttered, "The Cruciatus curse."

"And the effect of that, Hermione?"

She glanced around the room before answering, "Like hot knives stabbing you all over at one time."

Harry nodded. "Mrs. Malfoy, the last?"

She looked up at him and bore into him with her eyes. "The Imperius Curse."

"Thank you, Mrs Malfoy. Now we all know I'm the only person to live after having an Avada Kedavra cast on them. I honestly still don't fully understand how, so let's just say your best bet is to avoid it. The Cruciatus Curse causes you too much pain to do anything about it, but the Imperius Curse  is possible to resist, if your will is strong enough. As I said before, I have permission to do this and I will not do anything that will be embarrassing to you. I'm going to cast it on each of you and I want you to try to fight it off."

Harry made his way through the class, doing things like having them dance, act like an animal, or do jumping jacks, sit ups, or other things. Ginny was the last he cast it on; he made her do the Muggle dance The Twist. Try as she might, she couldn't fight it off in the least; not that anyone else could either. As class came to an end, Harry gave them their homework. "I want twelve inches of parchment on the Imperius Curse and the effects of it. We will be trying again next Friday to see how well we can resist it. Mrs. Malfoy, please stay behind. Class dismissed."

Ginny watched as her classmates filed out. She stood at the back of the classroom. "Ginny, I expected you to at least try to resist it," Harry stated after the last student exited.

"I did," she said.

Harry stepped closer. "No, you didn't. You're married to a man who is an expert at casting it. You need to be able to fight it."

"I tried!" She could hear how tired she was.

"Don't lie to me!" he snapped.

"I'm not!"

He moved away from her. "Mrs. Malfoy, I don't have the time to attempt to teach someone who has no interest in learning. If you can't resist it next time, I plan on recommending to the school governors that you be removed from Hogwarts, as it will be clear you believe you don't need to learn anything."

Ginny was confused. "Harry, why are you being like this?" she asked.

"I don't need you wasting my time and the time of those who want to be here," Harry explained; his eyes were cold as he spoke.

"I want to be here!"

"Then why aren't you trying?"

"I am! I'm just very tired today."

"I don't have time for this! Get out of my class and don't return until you can resist the Imperius curse!"

Ginny stood there in shock. She didn't understand why Harry was being such a jerk. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes. "Why-"

"Mrs. Malfoy, if you don't leave this classroom now I will take off every point Gryffindor has to date!" he yelled with his back towards her.

Ginny turned, grabbed her bag, and almost ran from the classroom. She headed to her room and gathered together the things she would need for the weekend and then stepped over to her Floo. This was one of the things that was added to the Head Girl's room in light of her marriage. She could only use it to Floo to and from the Manor, but at least it saved her from having to walk through half the school with her overnight bag and backpack full of school work. "Malfoy Manor," she said and disappeared into the green flames, glad to be leaving here for a couple of days anyway.

  
  



	15. Marriage Betrothal 101

**Marriage Betrothal 101**

Ginny arrived in the foyer of the Manor and headed for the Rose room. She didn't bother calling for a house elf; she was able to carry her own bags. As she walked she reviewed the fight with Harry. She couldn't understand why he was being so unreasonable. _Stupid git! How does he expect me to resist it if_ _I can't practice? He'll have me kicked out of school! He most likely can,_ she thought to herself.

"Ginevra, is something wrong?" came Lucius' voice from behind her.

She jumped, quite startled. She slowly turned around to face her husband. "I didn't expect you to be home yet."

He smirked at her. "I was at the Ministry today, and being Friday, most people there prefer to take off early."

"Oh."

"You didn't answer my question; is something wrong?" he pressed, then reached out, taking her overnight bag from her.

"I'm just having a problem with my Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," she explained. Lucius began heading down the hall with her.

"What seems to be the problem?" he inquired.

She bit her lip, wondering if she should tell him. However, if she was kicked out of school, he would hear about it soon enough. "We were covering the Unforgivables today and he had permission from the Ministry to perform the Imperius on us. He gave me a hard time because I couldn't fight it, but no one else could either. He said that if I can't resist it by next class he would speak to the governors about the fact that I am wasting his time and everyone else's around me and have me removed from school." As she explained, she could once again feel the tears burning her eyes.

Lucius looked at the young woman in front of him. He could tell she was tired, but he knew this was most likely connected to the fact that they needed to be together. "You're not feeling like yourself today, are you?"

"I'm tired. It's been stressful since my birthday," she admitted.

Lucius stopped and turned towards her; she too stopped. He chose his words carefully. "I can understand that, but has it occurred to you that maybe the reason you're tired has to do with the bond?"

"No, I hadn't thought of that."

"You're young, and this is all very new to you." She shifted, showing she was uncomfortable. "It's up to you; a few hours won't kill you, but if you want we could take care of things now, or wait till after dinner," he offered.

She blushed bright red. Part of her wanted to get it over and done with, but she didn't want to seem overly eager. "Is there anything we have to do besides that this weekend?" she asked, stalling.

"No. People feel we're still in the honeymoon phase, so we have no social obligations. However, I do think we should add to your wardrobe."

"What? Everything I have is new!" Ginny exclaimed.

"New, yes. However, you are now a Malfoy wife. They wear higher quality, tailored clothing, more so than what you have," he explained.

"Yes, and you would know all about what I have, seeing as how you went through my stuff, including my underwear!" She remembered she was upset with him.

"I did  not go through your things!" Nobody accused Lucius of something he didn't do!

"Bullshit! You knew my sizes!" Her eyes flashed with anger.

"There are other ways of finding things out."

"Don't lie to me!" She then went to hit him, but with his fast reflexes he caught her hand. She struggled against him.

"I wouldn't advise trying to hit me again," he threatened. She still tried to fight him and she was making his blood boil. He had two choices if he wanted to put an end to her behavior. The first was to hit her; however he didn't think becoming an abusive husband one week into his new marriage was the best thing. So he did the only other thing he could, pulling her into his arms and kissing her passionately. At first she fought back, but quickly gave in. Within a minute or two he had picked her up and carried her to his bedroom, where he spent a long time shagging her.

"Wow!" Ginny said after catching her breath.

Lucius was lounging back on the bed. "I told you I'm a great lover!" he said smugly.

"I was talking about how much better I feel," she stressed.  _ But yes, that was pretty good, not that I plan on telling you that,  _ she thought to herself.

"After good sex, you will always feel revitalized because your adrenaline is running, but some of it is due to the bond. In time, you will learn to understand what your body is telling you. Besides being tired, was there anything else you were experiencing?"

"I was more emotional than normal," she admitted, then realized she was laying in his bed and talking as if they were friends or something. She moved to get out of his bed.

"Ginevra, I could teach you to resist the Imperius Curse," he offered.

She stopped dead in her tracks, then looked back at him. "Why?"

"Because you're my wife, and I am an expert in casting it," he explained as he sat up, revealing his nude body.

Ginny blushed deeply and turned her head back so she wasn't looking at him. Lucius covered himself and laughed as she replied, "I know."

"I'm covered," he said. "You should get used to seeing me unclothed. Now, do you want my help?"

"I- I don't know."

"Do you feel unsure about putting yourself in a vulnerable position like that with me?"

She nodded and added, "You said we can't use magic on each other."

"Yes I did, but I meant that we can't use magic  against each other. If you allow it, I can." He felt it was important to have her be willing to trust him like that.

Lucius had spent the last week thinking long and hard about what he wanted from this marriage. He and Narcissa had wanted more children than just Draco. He now understood why Narcissa never got pregnant after Draco, and that had been the real reason they grew apart. But now he had a young, highly attractive and sexy wife who he was already molding into a sex kitten. He did also see the added benefits to having her as his wife; it would show others he was reformed, it would piss off Arthur and Potter, and he was sure he could manipulate her to do as he wanted.

"Think about it tonight and let me know tomorrow. There are a few ways to resist it, but they need some practice. Do you feel like going out for dinner?" He was drawing out talking to her because he could tell that while she wanted to leave the room, she didn't want to walk around naked in front of him. Young women were fun to play with. "I've already seen you nude." She blushed deep red, again.

Hours later, Ginny sat in the library of Malfoy Manor working on her Potions assignment when Draco walked into the room. He watched her for a couple of minutes before finally speaking, "That's something I don't miss; homework." She didn't reply, so he came over and looked at the textbook that sat next to her. "Potions. You know, I got top marks in it, if you want any help."

She finally looked up at him. "Thank you, but both Professors Slughorn and Snape said I was the best Potions student they had in years," she stated coldly.

Draco looked shocked. "No! Severus said that?"

Ginny smiled to herself. "Yes he did."

"About a Gryffindor?" He seemed surprised.

"Perhaps you're forgetting he spent his whole life in love with a Gryffindor."

"Love is strange," Draco mused.

"Why are you being so – civil to me?" She couldn't help herself. She had been stressed out all week, and other than the letter Hermione brought to the train, she hadn't heard from her family. Also, with the exception of Luna, everyone else she knew was giving her a whole lot of space.

"Well, let's see...you have, despite it not being for me, given up a lot, yet I benefit from it. I'm guessing your choice has had a negative effect on your social life; I understand that. And Father asked me to- extend an olive branch, so to speak."

She looked down at her paper. "I don't need false friends."

"Look Ginny, I know more than most about fake friends. You said the day of the hearing that you would have married me if you had to. I realized that it most likely would have been my best chance. With you, I would always know where I stand, at least. You would be with me for one clear reason; we would have truth."

Ginny was surprised by Draco's revelations. "Lucius asked you to ..."

Draco finally sat down, across from her. "I know what you must think of him, but really he's not as bad as you think. I know that many believed he abused both me and Mother, but as far as family goes, he would never harm a hair on our heads. Lucius is a man of great passion in everything he does, both the good and the bad." He then rose from the table. "Try to become his friend, at least; you'll be happier. Anyway, I need to go. Good night, Ginny."

When Ginny went to bed, she thought about what Draco had said about Lucius. She felt like she was in a different world.  _ Lucius was being … nice to me, and Draco was acting like he wanted to be friends! Very strange,  _ she thought.

And she hadn't heard from her family. She wondered if it was because they all hated her now. She had realized that that was what would likely happen, but it didn't change the fact that it still hurt. Ginny herself hadn't reached out to them because she knew that she was so very emotional, which was really unusual for her, but she understood why. With one letter her whole life had changed. She was married to a man old enough to be her father! What could they possibly have in common? Every time he looked at her he must see a little girl. She was already beginning to wish that it was Draco she had to marry; at least they would have had a small hope of finding some common ground.

The next morning when Ginny arrived at the breakfast table she found only Lucius. He wore tailored robes once more. "Good morning," she greeted as she entered the room.

Lucius once more stood up as she came into the room. He took note of the black pencil skirt and pale green cotton blouse she wore. It was a very fetching combo on her. He was surprised to find himself wondering what underwear she was wearing. "Good morning, Ginevra." He then held out her chair for her.

"You don't have to do that; I'm capable of seating myself," she commented.

He sighed deeply. "I'm sure you are. However, I believe it's simply good manners. In the society I'm from, things are more formal than what you would be used to."

"I don't see the Slytherin boys doing that kind of thing at school."

"The youth of today are losing respect for the class they should have been raised with. I feel that part of it has to do with their close proximity to Muggles."

"I'm sorry, but I disagree with you." She tried to sound as polite as possible.

"Ginevra, I am aware of how you were raised and the beliefs your father instilled in you, but allow me to explain why I say what I say." She nodded in consent. "Contrary to what you may think, I do know more about Muggles than one would guess. Some may think we in the wizarding world are vastly underdeveloped in comparison, however we aren't the ones ruining the environment. And also, the things that the Death Eaters did to kill Muggles in the war were better than Muggle ways of murder, like the H bomb or germ warfare. Muggles have some very strange ways of thinking, like that it's alright to have sex and have it be recorded for others to watch." He paused. "I prefer a more dignified way, which includes more sophisticated manners."

Ginny nodded again, not knowing what to say.

"Next month, we are invited to a ball at the Ministry. I want- would like- you to allow me to arrange for a tutor in the social graces, and perhaps some ballroom dancing lessons. Would you be willing?"

"You think I will embarrass you," Ginny declared.

"I never said that. However, there are certain standards that a Malfoy wife is held to."

"And I'm not good enough! Why can I just be me? I think we should be honest about why we're together."

He looked solemnly at her. "Ginevra, I never said you weren't good enough. Don't you want to be the very best you can be? To not feel uncomfortable in any situation that you will be exposed to as my wife?"

She looked back at him for a long moment, then spoke, "I'm not looking for a fight; I only want to understand things. I thought that since you reformed, you were shunned by most of the people who viewed things like what you're talking about."

"To a point, yes, but there are those who didn't support him to the extent I did who still see advantages to associating with me. Gold greases a lot of wheels."

"I'll try the tutoring," Ginny consented.

Lucius flashed her a quick smile. "Good! Now, do you want me to help you with the Imperius Curse?"

She smiled back at him. "I don't just want your help  trying to resist it; I want you to teach me how to  master resisting it."

  
  
  



	16. Chapter 16

**Imperius 101...And Other Marriage Courses**

Lucius smiled at his young wife, thinking she just might make it as a Malfoy after all. "Very well. After breakfast we will go to the library and begin. As a point of interest, who is the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

Ginny bit her lip before replying, "Harry Potter." She almost spit the name out; she was still mad at him.

There was no way Lucius could have missed Ginny's bitterness towards Potter. In recent years he had become quite used to hearing anti-Potter comments. "You're not pleased with him as a professor?"

Ginny took a moment to contemplate her response. "Since word of our betrothal came out I have seen a side of Harry I never knew existed." She gave him a look that said she wanted to leave it at that.

Lucius wanted to ask for more information, but felt it would be best to leave it for now.

Later in the library, Lucius looked intently at Ginny as he spoke, "To reassure you, I won't have you do anything that would embarrass or harm you. I'm quite sure that my Imperius Curse is stronger than anything Potter could ever hope to cast." He paused, noting she was thinking something. "What is on your mind?"

"I- well," She didn't want to offend him, and he could tell.

"I believe Potter on his own is only an average wizard; his connection to the Dark Lord gave him extra power, yes, but that is now gone. I am an expert in casting this Curse and therefore it will be stronger than anything he could come up with." Her mouth fell open slightly and he sighed. "There are still things you are not aware of. As part of the added things to the marriage bond, you cannot reveal anything about me, unless I have harmed you."

"I didn't know that." She paused. "Even under the effects of Veritaserum?"

"Yes, it's very similar to the Fidelius Charm." She nodded. "Are you ready to start?" She nodded again. "Okay, this first time I don't want you to try and fight it; simply feel the strength of my Imperius Curse. Relax. The command I give you will be very simple."

"Okay." She looked very nervous.

He nodded, then raised his wand. "Imperio." Lucius waited until the look of calm overtook Ginny. "Get me the book, Deadliest Potions." She moved toward the bookshelf behind him, quickly found the book, and removed it from the shelf. He had to smile to himself; he did enjoy seeing someone under his control. "Finis Incantatem," he said to lift the curse.

After fifteen seconds of blinking, Ginny focused on Lucius. "Wow, that was really strong," she admitted.

"As I said, I'm an expert at it," he stated. "Now I will explain what you need to know to resist it. First, if you know someone is going to cast it, you will need to relax. The more relaxed you are when it is placed on you, the better you will be able to fight it. I can guarantee at first you will not be able to fight it, but this next time I want you to try as hard as you can to take the book next to the one I tell you to get. Think about the idea that your life may depend on it. Are you ready to try again?" She eagerly nodded. "Imperio." He again waited for the effect to take hold of her. "Get the book, Pure Blood Families of Great Britain." Lucius watched with amazement as she began fighting it.

She was still unable to resist it completely, but she was clearly trying. He was quite impressed. Finally she removed the book he requested from the shelf. She then stood there holding it.

"Finis Incantatem." Once she was released, he said, "Very good, Ginevra."

"Thank you," she replied.

An hour later, under her husband's expert guidance, Ginny had no problem resisting the curse. Lucius was beyond impressed with her. He decided she wouldn't be a complete disgrace to the Malfoy name after all. "Very good, Ginevra. I have no doubt that you will resist Potter's attempt next time."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, but why were you willing to help me?"

"As I said before, this marriage can only be what we make it to be. We both need to try." he replied honestly.

"Why did you ask Draco to, er, extend the olive branch to me?"

"Ginevra, I realize the effect my actions in the past have had on you. I also realize you must feel like you have married yourself off to an old man. And I can only imagine how your family and friends must be reacting to this. I simply felt that you would benefit from having someone to relate to." He paused. "Draco and you are more likely to have things in common than you and I. We will have a child together, and are bonded to each other for life. I would prefer to see you somewhat happy." Lucius rambled as he realized he wasn't sure of his own reasons.

"Thank you for- well, I get it." She rubbed her face. "I'm sorry; I'm just not myself, and I'm not liking how I have been lately."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm not normally so... emotional. I don't like being this way."

He gave her a real smile. "This must be a very hard time for you."

She nodded. "I didn't want to get married until I was at least 25," she admitted. "I wanted to experience life first."

Lucius moved towards the sofa sitting near the fireplace on the far side of the room and indicated for Ginny to follow him. "What do you mean?"

"I really hoped to play Quidditch and to travel the world. I mean, I have been to Egypt and Romania, but there are other places in the world I would love to see; Russia, Africa, Australia, China, the rainforest in Brazil, the Rocky Mountains in North America. To have lived in my own place, to have been able to go out and be gone for days on end without having to answer to someone about where I was."

"Then why were you so willing to give up those aspirations so quickly? We could have waited."

"How could I be happy and enjoy myself knowing how the Curse would affect my brothers' lives?"

"Ginevra, you can't live your life for others," he cautioned.

"It doesn't matter now, it's done." Her voice sounded sad.

Some part of Lucius wanted to make this better for her. "We could go to Russia for New Year's," he offered. "St. Petersburg is a beautiful city."

She nodded. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded. "If the bond affects us so much, how is it you didn't die in Azkaban?"

His face stayed expressionless as he replied, "There are things that you still don't know. When one party of a married couple is there, it is believed that it would be wrong to allow the innocent member to be punished as well, so they allow conjugal visits."

"Oh. But what about people like a married couple who are both there, like Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband. They didn't die."

"No, but they were far from sane. You see, if both parties in a marriage are there, then they are forced to wait until one of the two is at the point of no longer being conscious so that there is little enjoyment from it. Repeated joining like that over a period of years will lead to insanity even in the strongest mind," he explained.

"Oh, I didn't know that," she admitted.

He gazed at her for a long moment before continuing to speak. "Ginevra, I know you would have never chosen to marry me, but I think the past few hours have shown that with a little effort from both of us, we can at the very least be civil to each other."

"I do appreciate the effort you're putting in. I don't think that this has been easy for you either, what with Narcissa having just passed. I am sorry for your loss."

Lucius wondered if he should tell her that he had fallen out of love with Narcissa years before and that now knowing the reason why was in some way related to Ginny. However, he didn't feel she needed that guilt on top of everything else. "I guess we should head out to get your new wardrobe," he suggested, changing the subject.

After about four or five minutes of shopping in one of Diagon Alley's fancier shops, Ginny looked at Lucius. She really didn't like shopping with him; she felt like a child asking her father's permission on each item. So she decided to be honest with him. She waited until the saleswoman stepped out of the room. "Lucius?"

"Yes?"

"Do you- Would you mind if I finished doing this myself?"

He looked surprised. "Why?"

She pondered the best way to say it. "Well, I just – With you paying for everything, I feel like I'm twelve again."

"And like you're shopping with your father?" he finished for her.

"Yes," she conceded.

He smirked and came over to her, placing his hands on her upper arms as he turned her towards the full-length mirror. "Do you know what I see when I look at you?"

She made eye contact with his reflection. "A little girl, I guess."

"That's far from the truth. I see a beautiful diamond that just needs a little polishing. You are a very attractive, young – but clearly full grown, woman. I promise I'm not looking at you in the way a father would look at his daughter; quite the opposite actually. Any man will tell you, if he's being honest, that we all fantasize about having a woman much younger than ourselves." He could tell she didn't know how to reply to what he just said. "You are a Malfoy now, and you need to realize that you don't look for anyone's approval but your own."

She could feel his hot breath on her neck and it sent a sensation down her back."Then why the lessons?" she asked calmly.

"Only so that everyone who meets you wished they could be more like you." She nodded. "There is one other thing; I don't want to offend you, but the style of your hair does say, 'schoolgirl.' Do you think you would be willing to update it to something a little older?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Most schoolgirls wear their hair similar to yours. Why don't you go to a stylist and see what they suggest," he explained carefully.

"I guess it couldn't hurt." He smiled, knowing he won this one.

On Sunday evening, Lucius looked across the dinner table at Ginny. "When do you have your next Defense Against the Dark Arts class?"

"It's my first class tomorrow morning," she replied.

"Do you really want to – You will have no problem resisting his Curse. However, if you really want to shock him you will need your magic levels to be at their highest."

"I know we need to – be together tonight," she spat.

"Well,  I wouldn't object to that. Your magic will be at it's height for about three hours after we are together. Personally, I would advise that we be together tomorrow morning before you go back."

"I guess that would make more sense, and it would last that much longer too, right? I mean, I might even make it till the end of the school week."

The next morning, after they finished having sex, an idea occurred to Ginny. "Would I be even stronger after being intimate more than once in a short period of time?" she inquired of her husband.

"Only marginally," he informed her. They were sitting at the breakfast table. "I will send an owl with information about the etiquette tutor."

Ginny still didn't feel the need, but she decided this would be her way of trying. "Alright, but I should be heading out now."

"Ginevra, there is one other thing." She looked back at him. "Have you spoken to your family?"

"No. Mum sent a letter with Hermione, but that's all."

"Perhaps you should write to her," he suggested.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**I Don't Like Mondays**

When Ginny made her way to her DADA class she had to admit she was wearing what could definitely be called a Malfoy smirk. She couldn't wait to show Harry up in front of the whole class! After what he threatened this would be sweet revenge, and he wouldn't see it coming. She happily took the seat in the front that Hermione saved for her. "Ginny, how was your weekend?" Hermione asked.

"Well, it started off really bad, but got better," Ginny explained, smiling.

"What happened?" Luna asked. She was sitting on the other side of Ginny.

"Lucius suggested we..." she searched for the right word. "... improve my wardrobe to the standards expected of a Malfoy wife."

"And you fought over that?" Hermione guessed.

"No, that's when it got better. I hate to admit it, but it was fun spending his money. The shops he took me to didn't even have price tags!"

"Well, I guess it's good that you're at least getting along," Hermione said.

"I didn't say we were getting along, but we're both trying."

Then the door opened and Harry walked in. His eyes fell on Ginny. "Alright class, let's see how you all are doing with the Imperius Curse. Mrs. Malfoy, you're up first." Ginny intentionally made herself look doubtful as she rose, but at the same time she relaxed herself. Harry raised his wand and declared, "Imperio!" After a few seconds, he gave the command, "Come stand in front of me."

Ginny couldn't help but notice that Lucius' curse was much stronger. Instead of doing as Harry ordered, she instead sat back down and commented for the whole class to hear, "I would rather not." She then made like she was examining her nails. However, she watched out of the corner of her eye for Harry's reaction. He was in shock and his month was literally hanging open.

Hermione spoke before Harry could, "How did you do that?"

Ginny smirked again and said, "I don't know; I guess my homework paid off."

There was nothing Harry could say in front of a roomful of students. Ginny couldn't help that she was very pleased with herself, and wanted to share this with someone who would enjoy the reaction as much as she had. Who better than someone who felt that Harry was 'The boy who lived' only by dumb luck? Lucius! He would take as much joy in this as her. She couldn't believe that she was looking forward to talking to Lucius Malfoy!

Once again as class ended, Harry ordered Ginny to remain behind. "Ginny do you want to tell me what that was all about?" he asked immediately after the last student exited the room.

Ginny really didn't want to talk to him about this. "You were mad and said I was not to return to class until I could beat it, so I made sure I could."

"Ginny, there is no way you could have learned to resist it without practice. If he used it on you, it's your ticket out! He will go to Azkaban, and because of his history he'll be dead in no time! Then you'll be free!"

As he said the words, Ginny knew that she would never be able to tell anyone because of the additions to the curse, but she didn't want Lucius to die for using the Curse on her. He did it to help her. She didn't think anyone should be killed for helping someone. Oh yes, she was sure Lucius should spend a lifetime in Azkaban for the things he did in the past, but she wouldn't send him there for this!

"Professor Potter, you told me not to return unless I could beat it, and I did! I did my homework and learned how. As for Lucius, he has allowed me to go almost anywhere in the Manor I wish, and I used the resources in the Manor to my advantage. Now you're upset because I did what you asked. You know what? I think I'm about to drop your class, because clearly I will not get a fair chance in here no matter what I do!" She then stormed out of the classroom.

"Ginny! Ginny, wait!" Harry yelled as she disappeared down the hallway.

Ginny had a free period next and took a moment to pen Lucius a note:

_ Lucius, _

_ I did it! You should have seen his reaction! It was priceless! _

_ Thanks, _

_ Ginny _

Ginny headed down to the Quidditch pitch after sending her owl, Candy, to the Manor with the note. She looked around and was reminded of the loss of Colin Creevey. While he never tried out for the team, he came to every practice he could and was always taking photos. He once told her he planned to make a memory book of the Gryffindors' years at Hogwarts.

She watched as Professor Wood taught flying to some Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. She thought about her weekend and her time with Lucius. She was really surprised at the effort he was putting into this. She still wondered, knowing how manipulative he could be, was he just playing with her? If he wasn't playing with her, could they become friends at least? She honestly hoped so, for their child needs to grow up in an environment where his parents at least like each other.

She then thought of her own parents' marriage and how she dreamed of having a marriage like that. Even after all the years, and children, she knew that they still enjoyed being together. She had seen the looks across the table that were filled with promise, and the fact that her father still used his pet name for his wife, and even how it was clear, no matter where they were, that Molly was still the only woman who caught his attention.

She didn't even realize she was crying until Oliver Wood sat down next to her and handed her a handkerchief. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

She took it and wiped her face before replying, "There's nothing to talk about, really."

"Don't say that; if it were true you wouldn't be crying," he said.

She dabbed at her eyes. "Everything is just so messed up."

Oliver looked at her for a minute before speaking, "Like?"

Ginny glanced around the pitch. "Everything! I haven't heard from my family. Well, Mum sent one note with Hermione. My husband, who hates my family and tried to kill me as a child, is trying to make this betrothal work. Harry is being a total ass, and I'm thinking of dropping DADA."

"What's happening there?"

She bit her lip before replying, "First, he flips out last Friday because I couldn't resist the Imperius Curse. Then today, when I did, he almost flipped out again because I completely resisted it. I can't win with him."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you and he were pretty close, right?"

She only nodded.

"He's most likely hurt then."

"He said as much. I don't care if I sound selfish, but it's my life that's screwed up, not his. He has disappointment, yet I'm the one who has to live with this for the rest of my life. I have enough to deal with without his stuff too!"

"You're right. Look, if you want to drop the class I can see if we can set things up for you to take your NEWT in DADA. So, you have tryouts today. Do you mind if I come and watch?"

She looked up at him. "I don't mind, as long as you don't try to take over on me. I've heard all about your days on the team."

He faked a hurt look, then raised his hand as if making a vow. "I'll only add my two cents if you ask me for it."

When Ginny left the pitch for her next class, she felt like she had a new friend! Later that evening, tryouts went quite well, with everyone looking forward to life returning to normal. As Ginny headed off the pitch, she was met by the Headmistress. "Ginevra, Professor Wood spoke to me about the problems you have been having in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I understand you would like to drop the subject."

Ginny nodded.

"I was worried about that until I heard you are able to totally resist the Imperius Curse. I'm going to allow you to drop it; however you will have to take your NEWT for it with the rest of your year in the spring." The older woman stopped and faced Ginny. "I'm worried about you, Ginny. I had hoped you would have come to me first."

"Oh ma'am, it's not like that! I had gone down to the pitch on a free period to clear my head and Professor Wood was there. He came and talked to me, that's all. I would have come to you myself, but today is just crazy what with tryouts and all!"

"I understand. Ginny. I will inform Professor Potter that you are dropping his class."

Ginny was lucky to have freed up her schedule from DADA; that time could be filled with her etiquette lessons. When she sat in her next Transfiguration class, she realized that Professor Wood had never come down to watch the tryouts like he had told her he would. She shrugged it off until the end of the class.

"Mrs. Malfoy, would you mind staying behind for a minute?" he asked of her.

Hermione raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Ginny, who only shrugged her shoulders. Ginny remained in her seat as the others filed out.

Oliver came and perched on the desk in front of Ginny. "Sorry I didn't make it to the tryouts yesterday," he said as he eyed her. "That was the only free time the Headmistress had where I could talk to her about your problem in Defense."

"Yes, I wanted to thank you for that."

He smiled warmly at her. "I was glad to help. So how did tryouts go?"

She sighed deeply. "I don't know. I can't make up my mind."

"On who?"

"Beaters, really," she admitted.

Oliver gave a slow nod. "Fred's old position?" She sadly nodded. "Who has had the position since then?"

"Coote."

"And where is he now?"

"He never recovered after our last match last year. He knocked a Slytherin off their broom and received an Unforgivable detention."

Oliver's eyes grew big. "I heard it was bad here, but I never knew things were that bad. Unforgivable detentions?"

"Yes. He was only a half blood, so they weren't too worried," she said without thinking. The second she heard herself she covered her mouth, but muttered, "I'm beginning to sound like them!"

Oliver came closer and gently pulled her hands away from her face. "No, you were stating the mindset of them, not your own beliefs, Ginny." He then changed the subject. "Does anyone look promising?"

"A couple of people weren't bad, I guess."

"How do each of them get along with the rest of the team?" he asked.

"I don't really know, to be honest."

He smiled at her. "Well, you don't have to make up your mind now. Have both do team drills at practice for a while to see who fits well with the rest of the team. I will come to the next few practices and watch if you want a second opinion."

She smiled back at him. "That would be great."

"Let's head to lunch; I know how you Weasleys are about your meals," he teased as he led her out of the room.

"'Kay," she agreed.

As they walked he asked, "Is it just me or does it seem like this place is missing something?"

"It's missing a lot of people," Ginny admitted.

"Oh I know, but I mean doesn't some part of you miss the slight fear about running into Snape and how many points he was going to take from Gryffindor."

"A little."

"The place just doesn't seem right without him," Oliver sighed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Understanding Lucius**

The week passed slowly for Ginny; other than Hermione, none of her house mates really talked to her unless it was about Quidditch. But Wednesday she decided to sit down and write to her dad. While he seemed upset when she told them, he also seemed to understand it the best.

_ Dear Dad, _

_ I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing well. I know everyone was rather upset that I married him, but really Dad, what choice did I have? I know all of you want to see this differently than I do, but please see it from my point of view. How could I be happy not married to him feeling that if I did marry him that everyone else would be better off? _

_ And honestly Daddy, he has been very reasonable about this. I'm not saying that I care for him, but he hasn't belittled me. He is really trying to make this work. I know part of me wonders if this is some head game, so I am being careful and I know not to trust him. I can hear everything you're thinking, and I know you don't have to tell me, but Dad, he really is in the same spot as me. If he doesn't do this, his family line will die off too. _

_ I think we both realize that our child will need us to be on good terms with each other and neither of us wants to hurt our child, so maybe this will work after all. _

_ And Daddy, don't worry. I will never forget the values you and Mum raised me with. I love you and my whole family and you all are why I did this. Please understand that. _

_ Love _

_ Ginny _

Oliver came to the next practice. He sat up in the stands, watching as Ginny ran her recruits through some drills. Once she told the team to hit the showers, she began cleaning up the equipment and Oliver headed down to help her out. He grabbed one of the Bludgers and took it over to the box that held the balls.

"You're a good captain, Ginny," he complimented her.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks, but I still don't know who should be the other Beater."

"You know, the professional teams hold try-outs for at least two weeks before they decide on their final team."

"I know, but when was the last time any team at Hogwarts took this long?" she questioned.

"That's because everyone thinks that their teams will be better the sooner they are set, but really, deciding on everyone in one day is not the best thing. You could pass someone up because they're having a bad day, or someone maybe has the most incredible luck on just that one day. Don't make the mistake of rushing this." He paused, "You go change; I'll finish out here."

"Thanks, Professor Wood."

"Ginny, in class, Professor is fine, but otherwise please call me Oliver." He flashed her a very warm smile.

"Is that okay? I mean-"

"Ginny, our world has changed; we fought together in the final battle. I'm old, as old as some of your brothers, and I think as long as we have a clear line between being a student and Professor, and friends, we should be fine."

She smiled back at him. "Thanks." Then she headed for the change rooms; she would shower back in the tower. It was always warmer up there.

The next morning, Ginny was pleased to see Errol swoop in and drop an envelope in front of her. Hermione stole a glance sideways as Ginny opened the letter. It read:

_ Ginny, _

_ I do understand, but it doesn't make it any easier. _

_ Love, _

_ Dad _

She fully understood what her father meant; he needed more time to deal with his own feelings in the matter. But understanding didn't make it hurt any less. She didn't miss the fact that they were in the same place, mentally. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes, but she willed them away.

After class was done, Ginny changed and headed for the Manor for the weekend. She was already not minding going; she had more freedom at the estate. She didn't have to deal with the other students whispering and talking behind her back, either.

Once at the Manor, she headed down to the games room she had found on her first day living there. There is a billiards table there, and she had played before when she visited friends, so she decided to take the time to learn to play better.

When Lucius returned home from the office, he was informed that Ginny had returned and was in the games room, so he headed down to find her. He had already decided to take her out for dinner. When he got to the games room, he was greeted by a very lovely sight; his teenage bride wearing a very tight fitting pair of blue jeans and a form fitting, mint green sweater that exposed her shoulders. She was stretching her petite body across the pool table to make a shot, and her long red hair was flowing freely. The sight alone was enough to spike Lucius' desire. He had to wonder where she got the outfit, for he knew it was Muggle. He also knew he was openly staring, but she was his wife; he was entitled to admire her body!

"Oh, you're home. Winny said you had gone to the office and she wasn't sure when you would be back tonight." She smiled at him.

"You seem in better spirits today than last week," he said as he moved into the room.

"I think knowing what I was facing helped a bit," she admitted as she stood behind the pool table holding her pool stick. She was running her hand up, down, and around the stick without thinking. Her actions held her husband's full attention.

"You look lovely tonight," he cooed, causing her to blush.

"Thank you."

He stalked across the room towards her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately and causing her to let go of the pool cue. As their tongues battled for dominance, he lifted her up and laid her onto the pool table.

Twenty minutes later, as they lay catching their breath, he noted her shyness was slowly disappearing. They were getting dressed when he spoke, "I thought we could go out for dinner tonight."

She bit her lip. "The house elves might be upset. I told them we would be dining here."

He smirked at her, but it was not a cold smirk. Clearly he was amused. "Ginevra, they are here to serve us, not the other way around. They will deal with the change in plans."

"'Kay, but where are we going?"

"The Arbutus. It's Muggle, but it's the best," he replied.

Ginny knew better than to question Lucius on this type of thing. "I've never heard of it. Is there a dress code?"

"Well, as amazing as you look dressed as you are, you would feel very under-dressed. Go with something you would wear to a cocktail party."

Ginny rushed around her room to get ready. Her main concern was her hair; she had no idea what style wouldn't say schoolgirl, but at the same time wouldn't make her look like a little girl playing dress up! She finally settled on doing big, loose curls. She chose her little black dress that she had bought on her birthday in Muggle London, along with black shoes and stockings. She was very pleased with herself once finished.

When she came into the front hall to meet Lucius, he was already waiting for her. He took in what she was wearing, but chose to hold his tongue. He himself was wearing a black, Muggle type suit. They were, after all, heading to a Muggle restaurant.

Once they arrived, Ginny was first surprised that her husband was known to the staff, and also at how well he seemed to slip into the Muggle world.

After he ordered cocktails for both himself and Ginny, Lucius looked at her and spoke, "Ginevra, please, I have been waiting to hear about your Defense Against the Dark Arts class since your Owl."

Ginny smiled; she knew this was coming. "Well, I was sitting with Hermione and Luna at the front of the class, and when Harry entered the room, his eyes fell on me. He ordered me to show how my work on resisting the Curse had gone. He told me to rise from my seat, so I faked him out by acting like I didn't think I had a chance at resisting. Then once he cast the Curse at me and gave me an order. I instead sat back down and said I would rather not. I then examined my nails. After class, he ordered me to stay behind. He tried to find out how I learned so quickly, and he wanted me to confess that you helped me practice in hopes of having you sent to Azkaban. I decided that while it might officially be an Unforgivable, no one should go there, for helping someone else. Later that day, I dropped the class."

Lucius rose an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

She bit her lip. "With him teaching it, I'm not going to get a fair shot at the class. I will still have to take my NEWT at the end of the year, but this has freed up time for the lessons you asked me to take."

He flashed her a smile, a real smile. "I have to admit; you have been far more mature about all of this than I expected."

She returned his smile, but was unsure how to reply. As the evening went on, Ginny did feel uncomfortable about the looks others were giving her. She knew that most of the people were thinking she was, at most, Lucius' mistress. And the idea did bother her that others believed her to be some type of home wrecker.

When the waiter returned, Lucius stated, "My wife would like to try the chocolate mousse."

The waiter's eyes grew a bit larger. He then looked at Ginny, whom he had paid little attention to before now. "Yes of course, Mrs. Malfoy! Anything else I can get you, please just tell me."

"No, thank you. That will be all," she said curtly.

Lucius watched Ginny as the waiter walked away from their table.

"Can you believe that? Other than undressing me with his eyes when we were seated, he paid me no mind until you said I was your wife!"

Lucius smirked. "This surprises you?"

Ginny thought about it for a second.

Lucius began again before Ginny could reply. "Until I said you were my wife, he thought of you as a mistress. Now he knows you have access to my money. It changes a great number of things."

"I don't care about your money."

Lucius nodded. "I'm aware of that, Ginevra. You possess a moral most people don't. I know that it wouldn't have mattered to you if I didn't have a penny to my name or if I had been in Azkaban. The fact that you would have been married to a convict wouldn't have mattered to you. What did, and still does, matter to you is your family's long term happiness. That is very admirable about your character. While it's no secret what I think of most of the beliefs your father raised you with, I do respect that he raised you to make the choices you have."

Ginny spent the rest of the night thinking about Lucius' words.  _ Did he actually pay my family a compliment? Was that even possible? _ she asked herself. She felt at times he was so different from who she believed him to be, but did she really know anything about him? Yes, she knew he was a Death Eater; she understood more about the beliefs they held onto than anyone would guess. After her time with Tom, she spent a great amount of time trying to understand Death Eaters. She had read anything she could get her hands on about them; books, old interviews, and newspaper articles from the trials after the first war.

That was the real reason Neville had ended up taking her to the Yule Ball. She had come to ask him about his parents after reading what had happened to them. That was when their friendship had begun.

Now he had hardly said five words to her; he talked with Hermione often, but not to her. And she would be lying if she said it didn't hurt, but at the same time, she didn't see him talking with Luna either.

On Saturday, Ginny began her etiquette lessons. They were not as bad as she had pictured. Her instructor was an older woman who reminded her of a grandmotherly type; the kind that only needed to look at you to tell you you had done wrong. Ginny liked her.

That night at dinner, Lucius mentioned, "Next week your dancing instructor will be coming to the Manor."

"Lucius, I have some free time without Defense class; I could use that time instead."

"No, your lessons will take place here," he ordered.

"I don't see what difference it makes," she replied casually.

"The lessons will take place in this house!" he repeated loudly, then wiped his mouth, tossed his napkin down, and all but stormed away from the table.

Draco, who had been watching this, waited until Lucius had left the room. "You have to remember you're his wife. He wants to know that nothing will happen that's not supposed to happen."

"Meaning me behaving in an improper manner with this dancing teacher," she stated.

Draco looked at her for a long moment. "It's not you he doesn't trust. You must remember; the amount of money you now have access to does change things for you more than you've ever dreamed. Here at the Manor, you're protected even more than at Hogwarts. Not just against attacks on your body, but even from things like blackmail or extortion. He just wants to be sure that you, and myself for that matter, are as safe as can be."


	19. No Scandals, Please...We're Malfoys

Chapter 19

No Scandals, Please...We're Malfoys

Ginny was slowly starting to get a handle on understanding her husband. She now understood that he cared a great deal about what image was portrayed of his family. There was nothing he could do to change the way his association with Voldemort affected people's views of his family, however clearly that was part of the reason the Malfoys had to be the best at everything. There was surely NO room for any more scandal. Because she wanted her child to grow up happy, she decided she would do her best to not bring any scandal upon herself.

At school she was continuing with her classes and Quidditch, and even had to mediate a problem between two Prefects. She also found Oliver Wood was becoming more and more of a friend. Hermione was trying to be a friend, too; however she was having issues balancing Harry and Ginny in her personal life.

Harry was still being an ass to Ginny. She began to wonder what she ever saw in him, and some small part of her wondered if there was just something about him that made anyone with the name Malfoy hate him. She now also found fault in almost everything he did.

Oliver had not come to watch practice as he had a meeting with a couple of parents of two first year Gryffindors who couldn't stop fighting. Tonight Ginny was running late after practice when Harry stopped her in the hall. "Ginny, I need to speak to you," he said as he stood at the door to his classroom.

Ginny now wished she had postponed practice until Oliver could come. Even if she wasn't in Harry's class, he was still a professor and she couldn't refuse him. She stopped dead, but kept her distance. "Yes, sir?"

"Come into my classroom." He moved away from the door.

She didn't want to, but could find no way to avoid it. She made her way in, wanting to keep her distance from him but not wanting to sit at a desk. He already had enough power being a professor. "What did you want?" she asked calmly.

Harry smiled at her. "Ron wanted to know how you're doing," he claimed lamely.

"Well, Ron is perfectly able to write to me himself," she replied.

He nodded. "Yes, but when does Ron pick up a quill of his own free will?"

Ginny nodded; she had to give Harry that one. "Tell him to write to me."

Harry started moving closer to her. She backed up until she was pinned against a desk. "Ginny, I miss you," he started. "I know that you're not happy with Malfoy." He then brought his lips down on hers in the first intimate, aggressive thing he ever tried.

_ He's kissing me! _ Ginny thought.  _ Who does he think he is? And was he always this bad at this? _

His tongue forced its way into her mouth. Ginny finally pushed him off of her. "Don't ever touch me again!" she ordered.

"You know you miss me. There's no way you like him touching you," Harry angrily countered.

"Given the choice between kissing you once more or Lucius every day for the rest of my life, I'll gladly kiss him! At least he knows what he's doing!" she yelled back at Harry.  _ Wait one minute! Do I like kissing Lucius? No, it's not that; it's just he knows what he's doing. _

Harry used Ginny's second of revelation to close the gap between them, but she pulled out her wand and threw her Bat Bogey curse at him, then ran from the classroom.

As she got closer to her room, she realized she had just cursed a professor.  _ Crap, I'm dead now! Shit, _ she thought. She was sure she was going to be expelled. She was muttering to herself when she ran into Oliver.

He took one look at Ginny and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ginny felt very safe with him. "I'm pretty sure I will be expelled by morning," she sadly replied.

"What did you do?" Oliver asked, slightly alarmed.

"I cursed a professor," Ginny admitted.

"Stop, Ginny. Before we go any further, please tell me who you're talking to; Oliver or Professor Wood."

She looked at him, clearly puzzled. "What?"

"Are you confiding in a friend or confessing to a teacher?" he asked, smiling.

"What difference does it make?" she replied.

"Tell me, your friend, what happened." He began to lead her down the hall.

She relaxed a little. "Harry kissed me!" she said heatedly. "Then I insulted him and he tried again but I did my Bat Bogey on him."

"You won't be expelled," he assured her as he placed an arm around her.

"But he's a professor!"

"Yes he is, but his behavior is called sexual harassment. He's not going to say anything because you could say something in return. You can and should charge him with harassment!"

"I can't," she replied, not sounding defeated in the least.

"Why?" Oliver asked.

"Because I'm a Malfoy! I can't bring a scandal to the family name. I need to take care of this myself."

Oliver and Ginny had been walking and were now at the door to the Head Girl's room. Ginny opened the door and allowed him into the common room she shared with Michael Corner, who now was scared shitless of her because her last name now is Malfoy. Ginny was pretty sure Draco had done something to the Ravenclaw who was the Head Boy.

"What are you going to do then?" Oliver asked.

"Well I don't fully know, but I'll figure it out."

"You can't let him get away with this. Would you like me to talk to him?" Oliver asked as he sat down on the blue sofa in the room. This was very common now for the two of them.

"No, it's fine."

"Can I ask something?" he said and she nodded. "Why are you so upset with him?"

Ginny flopped down next to Oliver and sighed. "Because he thinks that I should just be so... He doesn't understand that this marriage is not as bad as he thinks it should be."

"What is it like?" Oliver asked.

"It's... weird, I guess. I mean really, he's almost as old as Dad! However, we both know that we have to find a balance for the child we have to have. He's actually been very... Malfoy-like, but in a good way."

"What the hell does that mean?" Oliver asked, looking sideways at her.

"Well, you know how they have always been... you know, giving to the right charity, perfectly proper, forgetting they were followers of the Dark Lord. You know, everything you expect of respectable rich people."

"Meaning?"

"Lucius does his best not to offend me; however he still corrects me when he sees fit. He also asked me to take etiquette lessons. You know; how to act, what fork to use, and how to dance."

"How do you feel about this?"

"It's okay, I guess. I mean it makes sense to always try to be the best I can be, right?"

"I guess."

After Oliver left that night, she spent a lot of time thinking about what to do about Harry.

Ginny spent that weekend at the Manor as she did every weekend. On Sunday afternoon, she put on her Quidditch sweater. She knew the Gryffindor colors weren't the best colors on her, but she had her reasons. She made her way to Lucius' study and smiled. Tom had taught her a thing or two.

"Lucius," she announced herself.

He looked up at her and took in what she was wearing. "Ginevra, what on God's green earth are you wearing?"

She did a little spin as she explained, "It's my Quidditch sweater."

Lucius had noticed the Malfoy name on the back. "What is the Malfoy name doing in those colors?"

"Well, I'm the team captain," she explained.

"Do you know how many Malfoys are rolling over in their graves right now?" he spat.

She ignored his comment. "I wore this to remind myself I needed to ask if you could be home on Thursday night. I have my first match on Saturday and want to stay at school on Friday night."

"Ah, you want to be in top form, do you? Why would you think I would do anything to help Gryffindor?" he asked coldly.

Ginny got a hurt look on her face and replied, "You're right, I'm sorry." She then turned around, reminding him of the Malfoy name on her back, and spoke, "I just didn't want to be a disgrace to the Malfoy name."

Lucius realized that the colors on her didn't matter; it was her name that meant everything. "Thursday evening, you say?"

_ Thank you, Tom! _ Ginny thought to herself as she left the room.

**A/N Not what you were expecting? You perverts! Leave me a review, please!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Slow Acceptance**

As the weeks passed, Ginny was slowly figuring out to balance her life. School was fine, as long as she could avoid Harry. Life at the Manor was nice, now that Lucius didn't treat her like a child regularly. However, he did slip at times, like tonight. They were fighting. "You will go to your room!" he yelled.

"Excuse me?" Ginny questioned.

"I have had enough of your impertinence! Go to bed now!"

"The last time I checked, I was not a child whom you could send to bed without dessert!"

He was on her in a second, holding her upper arms in his iron tight grip. He had a deadly look on his face. Ginny hated the fact that he took her by surprise; the quickness of his advance caused her to tremble. He raised an eyebrow. "If you're not a child, then why are you shaking like a leaf?"

"You don't scare me!" she swore to him while trying to calm herself.

"Really?" He pushed her back against his desk and ripped her shirt open. He had in the past always been gentle about sex, so truth be told he was scaring her now, but she would never admit it. She was fighting back, and she was lucky enough to knee him in the balls. He doubled over in pain, and Ginny took the opportunity to jump up and run for the door. She stopped before leaving. "If I knew someone was going to try to force themselves on me, I would have guessed it to be Harry, not my husband!" She then bolted for the Rose room. Once there, she gathered her things and returned to Hogwarts.

The thing was, she wasn't really mad. She guessed that some part of Lucius enjoyed seeing people fear him. The two of them had been fighting, and he wanted to win. He couldn't use magic against her, and he didn't hit her as she had feared. A part of Ginny kind of liked the idea of him taking total control. Under the right circumstances, she thought she might enjoy it, a lot. But she wasn't going to let him think he was winning a battle that way!

Lucius couldn't believe the gall of his wife! He admitted to himself he wanted to scare her; he was sure this would. However, he didn't miss the spark in her eyes when she fought back. This was most definitely something they would have to investigate at a later date.

Before Ginny knew it, December had arrived and Lucius' social calendar was very full. She was spending at least two extra nights at the Manor each week, and her schoolwork was suffering as a result. But she was doing her best to keep her grades up.

Tonight was the Ministry's Snowflake Ball; it was always a big fundraiser for St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Ginny was rather nervous as Hermione had told her that Harry and a number of her family members would be attending, them being war heroes and all. She had not, as of yet, seen any of her family since marrying Lucius.

She was wearing a forest green, opulent, one shoulder dress that had a Roman goddess feel to it. It had gold embellishments at the waist and some draping coming down from that. She wore a diamond choker with long baguette diamonds within it's slim design and she had matching earrings. Her hair was mostly up in curls that had been charmed into place.

Lucius had been rather insistent that she look perfect for this event. He realized this evening might be very hard on Ginny. She might not tell him much, but he had his ways of knowing that her family had not talked with her. He didn't care for the Weasleys, so yes, he was relieved that Ginny wasn't wanting to have them at the Manor all the time. Their desertion of her only made his feelings against them clearer. If the tables had been turned and  she was  his daughter who had married one of them, he would have been there for her to help with this difficult time.

When she came down the stairs, Lucius was pleased with how she looked. She was amazing, and he knew she was comfortable with her new style. The etiquette lessons she had been taking had paid off nicely, for she took to them rather unexpectedly, yet naturally. Lucius had expected her to fight against taking them. Instead, she embraced them, and now his wife didn't seem out of place anywhere he had taken her, unless one looked at how young she was.

"Ginevra, you look stunning this evening," he complimented.

She raised an eyebrow, but replied simply, "Thank you."

He offered her his arm as he explained, "I will Apparate us there tonight when you're ready."

"I'm about as ready- Lucius, you- you won't have any issues with any of my family, will you?"

He sighed. "Ginevra, have they reached out to you since we got married?"

She looked down. He knew she was hurt by their non-actions. "I won't cause a scene," he vowed. He had to admit he was starting to like Ginny. Her work ethic was excellent, she was strong and smart, but also seemed to understand that she didn't need to let everyone know how smart. In some ways, it was better to have people underestimate her. They were very much alike in some ways.

"Thank you." Ginny was still trying to figure out this man. He was very private, and proud. He treated her as if she was the only woman he wanted to have on his arm each time they went out, but she knew he had to be missing Narcissa. He had spent over twenty years with the woman; she couldn't imagine how he must be feeling each time he had to introduce her as his wife! How his heart must ache that she isn't Narcissa. Ginny had seen pictures of her, and had even met the woman a couple of times. Narcissa was meant to be the lady of this Manor, and she was exactly the type of wife Lucius needed.

Ginny, on the other hand, knew her own faults. She was young; yes, men like youth for sex, but little else. She didn't view things as he did, and truth be told, that scared her. She worried about how mixed up their child would be, being told two very different sets of beliefs, so she was doing her best so that Lucius wouldn't resent her.

"I thought Draco was going tonight," she stated, making conversation.

"He is, but he had a date to pick up."

"Right. Well, let's get this over with," she said with a slightly forced smile.

When they arrived, the ballroom was filled with a rainbow of color from the women's dresses. Lucius led Ginny over to a group of business associates. She spotted her parents across the room, and she had decided she wasn't the person in the wrong. She wasn't going to beg them for forgiveness. If they came over to her, she would willingly speak to them.

"This is my wife, Ginevra. Ginevra, this is Paul Hand and Alvin Remmler." Paul was a short, balding man with dark hair, what was left of it. Alvin was a man of average height and weight with sandy brown hair.

She smiled at the men and offered her hand. As she nodded, she spoke, "Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ginevra, you are a lovely young woman," Mr. Hand said.

"Come Ginevra, there are others I want you to meet." Lucius spent the next hour putting Ginny on display. While Ginny knew what was going on, it didn't bother her. She knew what she was doing in the way of restoring some respect to the Malfoy name. It would be the name her child would bear.

She did notice that her family members who were there didn't even try to come over to speak to her. It left her feeling hurt.

When Harry arrived, he had a date with him. She was a brunette who was very attractive. However, Harry's eyes never left Ginny.

After returning from the ball, she headed to the Manor's library to work on a paper.

"Ginny, what in hell are you doing up at this hour?" Draco asked after he returned himself, at three in the morning.

She glanced up at him from her paper. "I have a Potions essay due the day after tomorrow."

He strolled into the room and sat on the table near her books, facing her. "You need a break: you've been going like this for how long now?"

Ginny leaned back in her chair. "It's not the first time I've burned the candle at both ends."

Draco had reached over, picked up her paper, and started reading it over, but paused and looked up for a second. "Yes, you did become an issue yourself last year."

She smiled at the memory. "It was my duty to speak for those who did not dare."

He glanced up from her paper. "You have no idea of the risk you place yourself in," he cautioned.

"I'd do it all again, if I had to." She and Draco had reached a plateau of sorts; they wouldn't call each other 'friend', but they had become very comfortable with each other.

He lowered the paper and looked at her. "You should be thankful Snape wouldn't permit students to leave the grounds. Carrow and a few of his buddies had their own ideas of how to deal with you."

He expected her to flinch; instead, she looked at him and smiled. "And you know this how?"

He wasn't sure how she would react to this. "I was asked if I wanted to join them."

She again surprised him. "Couldn't lower yourself to a Weasley, huh?" She gave him a smile.

He smirked at her. "Wouldn't lower myself to rape. Besides, looking back now, had things not worked out the way they did, we most likely would have been married." He handed her back the paper, walked over to a shelf of books, pulled one down and then returned to her as he flipped thought the book. Finally handing her the open book, he said, "You'll find what you need here."

She took the book from him and smiled. "Thanks, Draco," she finished with a yawn.

He looked down at her. "You said this was due the day after tomorrow, so why don't you head up to bed and finish it tomorrow?" He asked with concern.

"I have a Transfiguration essay I have to work on tomorrow."

"I'm sure you could get an extension or something," he suggested.

"I don't want others saying I'm getting special treatment," she declared.

"Then tell Lucius you need a break."

She yawned again. "Draco, I'm lucky he's allowing me to finish school. When we agreed to get married, he made things very clear as to the expectations he had."

"You don't want to disappoint him," Draco guessed.

"NO! No, I gave my word and I have to stick to that."

"You're going to wear yourself out. If you want to finish both, I'll help you tomorrow if you go to bed now. You need sleep; even a Malfoy needs their beauty rest."

"What are you saying? That I look ghastly?"

"I didn't say that, but you don't want to start looking like you did in your first year. Hell, I even stopped picking on you because I thought you were terminally ill or something."


	21. Chapter 21

**The Cruelty of the Past**

**Chapter 21**

**The Breaks**

The following morning, Draco met Lucius in the dining room at breakfast. Ginny hadn't come down yet. "Morning, Father."

"Good morning, Draco. How did your date go last night?" Lucius asked, glancing up from the paper he was reading.

"Fine. Has Ginny come down at all?"

"Not as of yet."

Draco took a moment to think, then asked, "Father, do you remember your last year at Hogwarts?"

"That was a stressful time," Lucius said, nose back down in his paper. "Both academically and otherwise."

"Yes, but you didn't take the mark until you finished, right?" Draco confirmed.

"Correct." Lucius set the paper down and took a sip of tea.

"Father, I arrived home after three am last night and noticed a light on in the library. Ginny was in there working on a paper. I've gotten to know her, both here and from observing her when I attend Hogwarts, and I have to say she is very proud and stubborn. Father, she's burning the candle at both ends, probably out of fear that if she tells you she needs a break, you'll make her quit school."

Lucius sighed. Deep down, he knew of this now that Draco had brought it up. He could no longer pretend the issue didn't exist. "I have plans to take her to Russia for New Years," he offered.

Draco smiled. "I think she'll like that, but she has a number of tests upcoming and papers due."

"Draco, you know I can't get out of many of the commitments I have."

Draco got up and poured himself a glass of orange juice. "She needs a break."

"And I need to have her with me. I haven't said anything to her, but she is quickly becoming an asset."

"I'm sure she is, but Father, did you notice that none of her family spoke to her last night? There wasn't even a polite nod of a head. She got permission to drop Defence Against the Dark Arts because Potter was harassing her. She is under a lot of stress and she clearly doesn't want to bring shame to the Malfoy name."

"She dropped Defence? She told you this?" Lucius asked, clearly surprised.

"Not really. There are a few people at the school who still speak to me. I heard that Potter was picking on her, and then she was no longer in his class. I asked her about it and she said he was having issues with the fact she is married and that she'll still have to take the final at the end of the year."

"I knew he gave her a hard time about the Unforgivables, but she never said anything more to me." Lucius rose and headed to the doorway. "I'll make sure I don't keep her out so late."

As the Christmas holiday grew closer, Ginny hadn't heard anything from her family. It hurt her that they didn't seem to care. She knew there were some plans happening at the Burrow for Hermione to leave the room if Ginny was there and talk of the holidays came up.

Both Neville and Luna had invited Ginny to their homes for Christmas Dinner. In the end, Ginny decided to spend the holidays at the Manor. Lucius and Draco were both quite reasonable to be around, and Draco was even fun to argue with. Besides, to be around other families would only remind her of what she was missing.

Before Ginny knew what happened, Christmas Eve had arrived. She had returned to the Manor two days before, but time became a blur. Lucius had promised to take her to Russia for New Years! She was very excited about the trip and looked forward to seeing the Russian Palaces. Any time she had seen images of them, they always seemed so much more ornate than English castles.

For seven days, they played tourist. By day, they would go sightseeing and shopping; for in the wizarding world, Russia was a fashion headquarters. Lucius never said it, but he enjoyed spoiling Ginny. She, unlike Narcissa, never expected to have the things she wanted. He would watch her from the minute they entered a store; she looked at the merchandise, both with her eyes and her hands, touching them, feeling them, and if she truly liked something she would steal a look at the price tag. But she never asked for anything. Lucius knew this was because she grew up in a home where money was very tight. A part of him wondered if she had ever had anything that was new.

And each night, Lucius took his young bride to his bed. He was very pleased with how he had taught her to enjoy sex. He had convinced her to never be ashamed of her sexuality and to be free and open with her mind and body. He wished that she could be as free with him outside of the bedroom.

Months into their marriage, she had shown she could only do good things for the Malfoy name and would never bring shame to it! At the same time, Lucius was sure that when alone with her friends, she could still be a silly young girl, but she knew what was expected of her as his wife.

He did notice that over Christmas she had never even hinted about heading over to her family home to visit. Lucius couldn't for the life of him understand how her family could just turn their backs on her over something that she had no real choice in! Why couldn't they see that she was doing this for them? When he really thought about it, it was his mother-in-law that pissed him off most. He heard how she had killed Bellatrix during the final battle to protect Ginny, who by all accounts had been holding her own fighting Bellatrix. He guessed, now that it was official, that the Mudblood Granger would be part of the Weasley family and that they might feel they no longer needed their daughter.

He never told Ginny, but on Christmas Eve he had run into Arthur Weasley at the Ministry. It was no different than any other time the two men had met, but the pleasantries they exchanged were due to his belief that Ginny had plans to go and visit her family.

On the night before they would return to London, Ginny was in their suite packing to go home. "I don't think, even with all the packing and shrinking charms in the world, that I have room for all the stuff you bought!" Ginny exclaimed to Lucius.

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "Most of the stuff I bought was for you," he pointed out.

She then got an offended look on her face and her hands were on her hips as she spoke, "I never asked for anything!"

Lucius smirked; this was true. However, in the four months she had been Mrs Malfoy, she had spent about the same amount Narcissa would have at  one afternoon tea with her friends.

"As my wife, you are required to wear the latest fashions," he simply explained.

She rolled her eyes. "Ninety percent of the time I'm in my school uniform!"

"At school, yes, but at the Manor-"

"Who really cares at the Manor? I don't understand why I can't wear jeans and a jumper."

"Because, my darling wife," He used the term to remind her she was a Malfoy. "you have yet to be subject to a raid on our home."

It was true; she hadn't. She stopped and looked at him. "Is it true they will even go through my underwear?"

"They have already." As soon as he said it, she turned bright red with embarrassment.

"But why? I've never done anything wrong!" she fired back.

He sighed heavily; he knew she wouldn't react well to this. "Ginevra, some might say that because of me, you played with a horcrux and that now living with me, as my wife, there could be no limits to what you might do." He could see her becoming madder with each word.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Neville and I led the fight against the Death Eaters at Hogwarts!"

Her words were true; Lucius had heard of the trouble Dumbledore's Army had caused, and each and every time the Carrows had complained about them, Lucius had to smile, for these were the same people who commented about him being beaten by a group of teens.

"Yes, Ginevra, you did and that is part of the issue; you have shown what you can do, so they worry that you will turn sides. Don't be offended! Take it as a compliment. Fear is anyone's strongest ally."

She looked over at him. His words were true, but she didn't reply to them.

"Think about it, Ginevra. Look at what you did out of fear; you married me out of the fear of what would happen to your family."

"But my underwear drawer? Really! What could they ever think they might find there?"

"Women seem to think that that's the one place a man would never look for something."

Ginny stopped and thought about it. Yes, thinking back she could remember Molly hiding things there from Arthur.

"You must be looking forward to getting back to school," Lucius changed the subject.

She gave a small frown, then lit up with excitement. "School, I guess. Quidditch, I can't wait! We have a big game next Saturday."

"You truly enjoy the game, don't you?" he asked.

Ginny finally closed her trunk and looked at him. "There's no greater feeling for me than taking off of the pitch at the start of the game! I kind of dread the Snitch being caught because then the game is over."

Lucius gave her a real smile. "That's because you love the game, not winning."

She smiled back at him. "I do." She paused, "Lucius, thank you for this trip! It has meant a lot to me."

"Perhaps in the summer we could go camping in the Canadian Rockies," he offered.

"You camp?"

He again smiled at her. "One can only take seeing so many ballets before one would want to Avada Kedavra himself."

When Ginny woke the following Saturday morning, she immediately checked the weather. It had stormed the night before, but when she checked out the window, all was calm. The grounds looked like something out of a storybook. There was a thick, fluffy blanket of snow covering everything, but it was calm, a perfect day for a match! Ginny turned her attention to showering and getting ready for the game that was two hours away.

When she left her room, she was greeted by Oliver Wood.

"Good morning, Mrs Malfoy," he gently teased.

"Professor," she greeted formally in return.

"Ideal conditions this morning."

"Yes, it should be a great day for a match."

"I just hope the team got enough sleep," Ginny commented. Being in the Head Girl's room made it hard to know if her team got to bed on time!

He grinned at her. "I checked. All team members were in their beds at ten-thirty."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, looking at him sideways. "Last year, Neville, Luna, and I could make it look like we were in bed for bed checks!"

"Positive! On my honor as a fellow Quidditch captain!" he vowed. They had reached the dining hall. "See you on the pitch!" he called to her.

"Thank you!" She smiled and headed to her table.

Four hours later, Ginny was hovering over the pitch watching for any sign of the Snitch. It was freezing out; so cold that Ginny sort of wished they weren't playing on brooms and that her team had to run around like Muggles! That way, they would stay warmer. Gryffindor was leading, but only by twenty points. "Where the bloody hell is the Snitch!" she muttered to herself. She might love the game, but she was convinced her toes had frozen off already. Ginny was thankful this game was against Ravenclaw; they at least played clean.

Ten minutes later, Ginny finally caught sight of the Snitch and went soaring after it. The Ravenclaw Seeker was almost neck and neck with her as they weaved in and out of players from both teams. They flew in front of the Ravenclaw goal when Ginny heard a loud crack! and her broom started spiraling down to the ground! She could hear the student body gasp, and she fought as much as possible with half of her broom dangling down, but she couldn't regain any control of it. As soon as she knew it was hopeless, she fought her instincts and let her body go limp before hitting the ground.

By the time Oliver, Harry, and the rest of the teaching staff got to her, the snow under her body was a bright crimson.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**Important Decisions**

The teaching staff watched in horror as Ginny's broom spun to the ground. No one could do a thing as Ginny and the broom were moving too fast. Oliver Wood did jump from his spot in the stands and rush down to the pitch. He was followed closely by both Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom.

Oliver was the first to reach where Ginny's small body landed. He slid on his knees towards her the last couple of feet. Her one leg and both arms were bent in unnatural positions. Oliver knew enough not to move her before a healer arrived. "Ginny! Ginny! You're going to be okay!" he lied as he gently brushed her hair away from her face. He hoped his lie would convince her; however, the redhead was unconscious and heard nothing.

Harry and Neville arrived at the same moment as Madam Pomfrey, "Stand aside!" the school nurse ordered as she began assessing Ginny. As Oliver stood up, the rest of the players and Hermione and Luna arrived. Luna positioned herself next to Neville. Hermione looked sick as Harry wrapped an arm around her to comfort his friend.

Everyone stood silently waiting for word. Headmistress McGonagall arrived in time for the nurse to state, "I need to get her to the hospital wing." Madam Pomfrey then charmed Ginny's body so that nothing moved and then levitated her up, revealing the blood-soaked snow under Ginny's body. There was a gasp from the stands and Luna grabbed Neville's hand.

"I'll come with you," Oliver said to the matron.

The Headmistress seemed torn between heading to the hospital wing and remaining on the pitch, but after a second or two, she turned to Harry. "Professor Potter, you and the other staff see to the rest of the student body," she ordered.

"Professor? We, the Ravenclaw team, would like a rematch," declared the captain of Ravenclaw.

"Professor Potter!" Minvera said louder to get his attention, ordering Harry to remain with the student body. She then turned to follow the matron and her charge, who were already being followed by Neville, Luna, and Professor Wood.

In the hospital wing, Luna stood with the three professors outside of the curtained area where Madam Pomfrey was caring for Ginny. All were quiet as they waited and worried. After what seemed like forever, the nurse finally stepped out of the curtained area, but instead of approaching her fellow staff members, she headed for the Floo. McGonagall followed the other woman.

"She needs more care than I can provide here. I need to make arrangements for her trip to St. Mungo's," the Headmistress was told.

McGonagall returned to the others. "She will need to be moved."

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked.

"She's that bad?" Neville asked.

"Someone should contact her husband," Luna said in her dreamy-sounding voice.

"I don't know, but she requires more care that can be offered here." Then, as if Luna's comment finally registered, Minerva looked over at Luna and a look of shock crossed the older woman's face. She nodded slowly. "Yes, I guess that's my place. Miss Lovegood, please go ask Poppy how long until Ginevra is moved. I'm sure Lucius will demand to know."

"Of course." Luna then waltzed down to the office at the back of the hospital wing.

"Professor Wood, your students will want to know what's happening with Ginevra," Headmistress McGonagall stated.

"I'll tell them once we've talked to Madam Pomfrey," Oliver replied.

The door burst open and in walked Harry and Hermione. "What's wrong with Ginny?" he demanded.

Neville looked at Harry. He, too, knew that Harry had given Ginny a hard time since Ginny's marriage, but like Hermione and even Luna to some extent, he believed Harry's actions were due to hurt. "She's going to be moved to London," Neville explained.

"Why? What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

Oliver was the only one who knew that Ginny hadn't heard much of anything from her family.

He turned his back on the rest of the group and stared at the curtained area that Ginny lay behind.

"We're still waiting for word," Minerva said as she saw Luna and Poppy come out of the office. Poppy, without a word, returned to her charge. Minerva headed towards the curtained area.

Once Luna got closer, she explained, "They're coming to take Ginny right away."

The large Floo on the far side of the room then opened and two of the staff from St. Mungo's came through. The group watched as they too disappeared behind the curtain.

"Headmistress, shouldn't you call Mr. Malfoy now?" Luna asked.

Minerva stared at Luna for a second before shaking her head and realizing her duty. "Right!" She headed down to the small office.

"Why does he need to be informed?" Harry started to rant.

"Because Harry, he  is her husband," Hermione stated. The statement earned Hermione a death glare from Harry.

In the nurse's office, Minerva set the smaller Floo to call Malfoy Manor. She knew this line went directly to Lucius Malfoy's private study. "Lucius Malfoy?" she called.

Lucius came into view. "Yes, Professor McGonagall?"

"Your- um, Ginevra had a Quidditch match today. There was an accident."

"She's in the hospital wing, I take it?" he asked without emotion, as if he had little interest in the news.

"She's being moved to St. Mungo's as we speak," she finished.

Lucius' eyebrows shot up. "That bad? What happened?"

"It was a freak accident! Madam Pomfrey made the decision to move her right away."

Lucius looked unsure of what to say or do. "I guess I will head over there then."

"I, too, am going there."

Lucius then closed the connection.

The Headmistress headed back out to the others. Madam Pomfrey had just stepped back out as the staff took Ginny.

Once Ginny disappeared with the staff from St. Mungo's through the large Floo, Madam Pomfrey joined the group waiting for word. "Mrs Malfoy had conditions that I lack the experience to deal with."

"Like what?" Hermione asked.

"I don't have permission to discuss it," the hospital matron explained.

"But in the past, you were able to discuss what was wrong with Harry," Hermione tried to reason.

"Yes. Well, Professor Potter wasn't a Malfoy. There are special rules for them."

"WHAT?" cried Harry.

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"There is a magical agreement that vows personal information about the Malfoy family will not be released. About the only information we can give out is grades," Headmistress McGonagall explained. "Poppy, I'm going to use your Floo to head over there now."

Minerva, having been to St. Mungo's many times, went straight to the visitor's waiting area and checked in. She didn't even need to explain who she was, for she had taught the witch at the desk.

"Headmistress, who is it this time?" the desk clerk asked.

"Ginevra Weasley."

"Ginevra  Malfoy ," corrected Lucius Malfoy from behind her.

The younger witch gulped at the sight of Lucius.

"Right. Ginevra Malfoy," Minerva then turned toward Lucius Malfoy. She wasn't at all surprised that Lucius didn't fight in the final battle. She always knew family was first for him. "Lucius," she greeted.

"What exactly happened to Ginevra?" he asked, quite eagerly this time.

"A Bludger hit the tail end of Ginny's broom. In this cold, the broom snapped and went out of control. She fell, and there was nothing anyone could do but watch."

"Who sent the Bludger at her?"

"I personally don't know," she admitted.

"Mr. Malfoy, your wife is awake and we are ready to discuss treatment with her and you," a healer said. He held the door open for Lucius to follow.

Lucius nodded. "I'll return and let you know what's happening with Ginevra," he politely informed Minerva.

Once in Ginevra's room, Lucius was surprised that his wife seemed to still be in great pain. The healer began, "Ginevra, you have suffered a broken hip, femur, and arm, all of which can normally be easily healed. However, Mrs. Malfoy, you are pregnant, and the only thing keeping you pregnant is your own magic. If we do anything magically to heal you, it will disturb the balance of your magic and you will miscarry. I would recommend you allow us to heal you."

"I'm pregnant?" she repeated, a smile spreading on her pain-stricken face.

"That's right. But only a few weeks along," the healer explained.

Lucius was surprised too.

"I will not miscarry! I will have this baby!" she vowed through clenched teeth as she fought the pain she was in.

"Mrs. Malfoy, I don't think you realize what you are facing," the healer cautioned.

"What is she facing?" Lucius hoped the facts of her condition would get Ginevra to see reason.

"As I said, we can't do anything magical to heal the bones without her miscarrying, so the breaks would have to heal on their own. The femur and arm can be set; held in place with something called a cast. It wouldn't affect your magic at all, but they are uncomfortable and would need to be used for at least six weeks. However, we can't set the hip the same way; it would heal, but not correctly. You would have to be on complete bed rest for your whole pregnancy. Once you have the baby, we can simply remove the bone and give you Skel-regrowth."

"Ginevra, be reasonable! That's too much! Let them heal you now!" Lucius tried ordering Ginny.

"No! I'm having this baby!" she shot back.

  
  



	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**Weasley Determination**

Lucius looked down at Ginevra. She had surprised him. He was well aware of how bad a broken bone hurt, and she had more than one. She was showing amazing strength and pain tolerance. Lucius knew that the healer was correct.

"Ginevra, you don't have to make up your mind this second. How about you seeing how you're feeling in the morning?"

The healer spoke, "Mrs Malfoy, even on complete bed rest you still could miscarry. We can't give you anything for pain, other than some Muggle painkillers. Rather than dealing with the pain, they alter your mind, making you think your pain is lessened. I still advise you to allow us to treat you."

"No! I'm not losing this baby!"

"Can I speak to my wife alone?" Lucius asked.

"Of course." The healer moved toward the door. "I'll just be outside." He then disappeared out the door.

"Ginevra, I don't think you know what you're facing; nine months might not seem that long to you, but day after day in bed will wear on you."

"Lucius, I can't give up. This baby is the end of the curse! As soon as she is born, our families will be free."

"I'm quite sure Draco and your brothers won't mind sowing their wild oats a while longer."

"I. Am. Not. Losing. This. Baby," she said through clenched teeth. The look on her face was one of pure determination.

"You're very stubborn. Really, Ginevra! Muggle pain killers?" She nodded. "You said you wanted one normal year at school," Lucius tried to reason with her.

"I'm pregnant," she stated simply.

"Ginevra,"

"Lucius, I am carrying your child," she pointed out.

"I'll call the healer back in." Lucius headed to the door. He stole a look at his young wife; she was clearly in pain. Her chin trembled with the effort to hide it. Then he called the healer back in. "My wife wants to try to keep the baby."

The healer nodded, then spoke, "I would again advise you allow yourself to miscarry, but I understand this is also emotional. I will get the Muggle painkillers for you. I would also advise getting a private aide, as Mrs. Malfoy will need help with everything. The hip will heal and set, however not correctly, and we can't say how painful it will be. When it comes time, you will not be able to have the baby naturally."

Ginny's teeth chattered in pain, but she only nodded.

This wasn't missed on Lucius. "How safe are these painkillers?"

The healer smiled. "They're very safe. They have been used for generations. For now, they will be very strong, and we will adjust the strength as time goes on. With the first dose, Mrs Malfoy may seem intoxicated."

"Then can we get her some now!" Lucius ordered.

Ginny said nothing.

"Of course. Mrs. Malfoy, if you were to rate your pain as 1 being nothing and 10 being the worst pain you have ever had…"

"Clearly her pain is great! Get her something!" Lucius barked.

The healer nodded and escaped from the room.

"I can tell you're in pain. Are you sure you want to do this?"

She only nodded again, but Lucius could tell she was fighting her pain, and even the tears the pain was causing.

When the healer returned, he spoke, "You will have to make arrangements for your personal healer to come and monitor your progress. We don't have the resources to treat a patient who is choosing to go against the advice of a healer."

"When can she leave?"

"I would like her to remain here for a couple of hours to see how she deals with the Muggle drugs. Some people can have reactions to them, but that will give you some time to speak to her healer and for us to set the broken bones we can."

Lucius turned to Ginny. "I need the name of your healer."

"Spencer."

"I will contact him and make arrangements." She again only nodded. "I'll return shortly." He then left the room. When he returned to the waiting room, he came face to face with Headmistress McGonagall.

Upon seeing Lucius Malfoy, she quickly rose to her feet. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Ginevra is extremely stubborn and strong willed."

The woman released a sigh of relief, then smiled. "I could have told you that years ago, How do you think she dealt with being handed to Voldemort at the age of eleven? How long before she can return to class?"

"She will not be returning," Lucius stated.

"What? Why?"

"Ginevra is pregnant, and any magical treatment for her injuries will cause a shift in her magic and cause her to miscarry. She's refusing treatment," he explained.

"She is?" Minerva kept getting more surprised.

"I tried to talk her into allowing herself to lose the baby."

"She would never!" McGonagall stated. "What are her injuries?"

"A broken hip and a few other broken bones. All will heal, but the hip will not and she will be on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy."

"Does she wish to continue her education?"

Lucius sighed. "Ginevra is in a great deal of pain, so we never discussed it."

Minerva nodded. "There is time for that once she is more comfortable. We can make arrangements for her. Well, I have a student body and full staff convinced Ginevra is dying, so I'm going to head back to the school." She then turned to leave.

"Professor, thank you for your concern," Lucius said.

When Minerva returned to Hogwarts, she found Oliver Wood in her office. "Headmistress, how is Ginny?"

Minerva could tell how worried Oliver was. She knew the two had become friends. "Ginny will not be returning to the school."

"Why? What's her condition?" Oliver asked.

"She suffered a number of broken bones, including a broken hip. I understand that she's also expecting, and her magic is the only thing keeping her from losing the baby. Anything magical done to treat her will cause her to lose the baby."

"Ginny won't allow herself to miscarry!" Oliver stated.

Minerva looked at the young man in front of her. He clearly cared for Ginny. "You know how strong-willed the Weasley family is, and Ginevra is likely the most determined in the family. Being the only girl forced her to be that way."

"Is she going to continue her classes after the baby arrives?"

"Her husband said they hadn't talked about it," she replied.

Oliver started pacing the room. "It was important to her to finish. Maybe she could be allowed to study the book work at home and maybe for some of the practical, credit could be given. Then she could test after the baby comes!"

"That would require her to be here," the Headmistress pointed out.

"Or for someone to visit her very often. I would be willing," Oliver offered.

"That would be a lot."

"No, I would be fine with that. Ginny might not be Hermione Granger, but once she sets her mind to something, it gets done."

"I will visit her in a couple of days and see how she feels about it," the headmistresses said.

"Thank you, ma'am. What do we tell the students, then?" Oliver asked.

She sighed. "As I explained earlier, we aren't at liberty to say anything. However, if when I see Ginny and she gives her permission, then we will say what she has allowed us to say."

"That may work with most, but Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, and Professors Potter and Longbottom? I assume the only reason you have told me this much is because I'm head of her house?"

"That is correct. We can remind them of the fact that we aren't allowed to say anything. They are all adults, and it is up to them to govern themselves as such!"

  
  
  



	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Recovery Begins

"I will call all the staff to a meeting and I will tell them. You should head to Gryffindor Tower and inform her housemates. The rest of the school can be briefed at dinner. I will have Longbottom tell Miss Lovegood, though."

Fifteen minutes later, all of her staff were assembled. Minerva could see the concern on both Potter's and Longbottom's faces. Funny, when she thought about it, everyone always felt that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had this unbreakable bond, but she personally felt that Ginevra, Neville, and Luna were possibly closer. The year before, she had watched them take over the role that the staff could no longer act on; that of protecting the younger students. She watched them plan and carry out acts of rebellion against Severus Snape and the Death Eaters here at Hogwarts. They witnessed horrors happen to other students and they fought in the final battle together. No, these three most likely were at the very least as close as the Golden Trio.

"As you know, I am unable to say much at all, but I can tell you that Ginevra Malfoy is alive. However it is doubtful that she will return to the school."

"Professor, you must be able to tell us something!" Potter protested.

"I'm sorry, I can't"

Longbottom looked very low, but Harry again spoke, "Mrs. Weasley will know something! I will contact her."

"Try all you want, Harry. Ginny has only heard from her once since school started," Neville said.

"Still, that's her mother! The hospital would have called her," Harry protested.

"No, Harry. As soon as Ginny married Malfoy, he became her next of kin," Neville explained.

"Longbottom, would you mind letting Miss Lovegood know? I'm sure she is extremely worried. Professor Wood is informing her house, and the rest of the school will be told at dinner," the Headmistress explained.

As Lucius watched the healer set and cast Ginevra's broken bones, he noticed a shift it his own view of the young woman. She was no longer just a physical pleasure; she was the mother of his child. A child she was already willing to do anything for. Lucius' own respect for Ginevra was growing.

He had already contacted her healer and had arranged for a private aide to come and care for his wife. They had also spoken to the healers here at the hospital and had been brought up to date on her condition.

He wasn't sure if she was stubborn or determined, but he did admire her willingness to put this baby and her family ahead of her own needs.

"Once we are done here, she can be moved to your home," a healer explained to Lucius.

He suddenly froze, realizing he never asked, "How far along is she?"

"She said she hasn't even missed a period, so not far along at all," the healer stated. "She would have been better off if we hadn't told her and allowed her to miscarry."

Part of Lucius felt the healer was right and part of him did not. As he thought about it, he found himself wondering for the first time what their child would look like. Who's physical characteristics would be stronger? He wondered if this baby was a boy or a girl.

When they arrived at the house, Lucius ordered that Ginevra be taken to his room. Once the aide and her healer had left, Ginny became more comfortable thanks to the Muggle painkillers. Ginny looked at Lucius. "I would be more comfortable in the rose room," she said quietly but firmly.

Lucius shook his head. "You may, but it doesn't make sense to move you from bed to bed each day."

"I don't need to sleep here," she protested.

"Ginevra, you will not be able to sleep properly with an aide in the room each night."

"I don't need someone with me at night."

Lucius sighed; he had hoped the Muggle painkillers would make her more agreeable. "What if you need something in the middle of the night? You aren't going to be getting up yourself. And what do you plan to do; scream until someone hears you? No Ginevra, use the brain you were born with! It makes far more sense for you to sleep here. After all, you are carrying my child, and at a great cost to yourself." He paused, "Allow me to help." He could tell she was going to protest, so he added, "I will feel better knowing I'm right here at night if you need something." He knew he could guilt her into agreeing.

"I would be fine."

Lucius simply changed the subject. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded, and it clearly caused pain. She then whispered, "And thirsty, and cold. I still haven't warmed up from the game."

"Some hot stew perhaps? And tea or hot coco? Anyone else and I would offer a shot of Fire whiskey."

"Cocoa for now and maybe the tea later."

Lucius nodded. "You rest and I will send a house elf up in a few minutes. I have to go over what the healers said with the staff." Lucius turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "Ginevra, are you sure about this? Everyone would understand if you chose to be healed."

"I am."

He knew there were many things to discuss with her, but it looked like they would have a lot of time to do that now.

Once Lucius explained Ginevra's condition and the fact that she couldn't use magic or be given anything made by magic to eat or drink to the staff, he headed for his office in the Manor. With Ginevra expecting now, his will would have to be changed. She may not be his wife by choice for either of them, but she  was the mother of one of his children. She would have to be provided for so she could give the baby the best if anything ever happened to him; that is, until the trust funds could be accessed by the child.

Lucius made a list of changes to the will along with what the trust funds would entail and be worth. An hour later, there was a knock on the office door and Draco came in.

"Father," he greeted.

For the first time in Lucius' life, he saw Draco in a different way. It was neither a good or bad way, just different. "Draco," he returned the greeting.

"How is your day going?" Draco asked.

As far as Lucius knew, Draco had no clue yet. "It's been a long day," Lucius replied, suddenly feeling tired.

"Why is it that I thought you were taking the day off?"

"Ginevra had a Quidditch match today."

Draco shivered at the idea of playing in this cold. "You went to watch?" Draco knew Lucius already respected Ginevra. Being willing to marry Lucius for her family's happiness made her someone to admire in his father's mind.

"No, I chose to stay home. I think now that maybe I should have gone."

Draco had grown to like Ginny. "Why, what happened?"

"A Bludger hit her broom and she had a very bad fall," Lucius explained.

"She's spending the night in the hospital wing at Hogwarts then?"

Lucius glanced down at the list he had. "No, it was a  very bad fall," Lucius paused, unsure of how Draco might react. "made worse by the fact she never should have been playing. Ginevra didn't know she was pregnant when she started the game today."

Draco's eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry, Father."

"You know how stubborn she is. She didn't miscarry, and her own magic is protecting the baby now."

Being young, Draco didn't know what this really meant. "So what does this mean?"

"If she was healed magically, it would disrupt her magic and most likely cause her to lose the baby."

Draco had grown to understand Ginny already. "And she will not allow that to happen, right?"

Lucius nodded. "Most of the broken bones will heal just fine, having been set, but she broke her hip as well. That will not heal itself with her being pregnant. She is now on complete bed rest until they deliver the baby."

"So is she in the hospital?" Draco asked.

"No, she is upstairs in my bedroom."

"Wow. I hope you don't mind; I would like to go up and see her," Draco stated, heading for the door.

"Draco, she's on Muggle painkillers, so she might not be herself."

Draco paused, surprised by this fact. " Muggle painkillers? Is that safe?"

Lucius nodded. "They do leave her in an altered mental state as they really affect the brain instead of doing much for the actual pain, but yes, they are safe for the baby."

"Well, why not just hand her a bottle of Fire whiskey then?" Draco sarcastically asked.

"Because the alcohol would affect the baby. This stuff is injected into Ginny's blood and is safer for the baby."

When Draco got up to Ginny's door, he just lightly tapped on it and then opened it slowly. Ginny's fiery red hair stood out against the stark white of Lucius' bed linens.

Ginny slowly turned her head to face him.

She didn't look the same as when he had seen her on Friday morning at breakfast. There was a large purple bruise on her left cheek and it engulfed her eye as well. "Wow, I always knew the Gryffindor team needed to learn to play Quidditch, but I thought you all knew not to hit the Bludgers with your bodies!"

"Fuck off," she mumbled.

"Now now, is that any kind of language to use in front of your stepson?" he smiled. "Father told me what happened. Hope you don't mind; I thought I would grace you with a visit." He made his way over to stand closer and look over the casts that were on her arm and legs.

She just stared at him.

"Well Ginny, you don't believe in doing anything halfway, do you? You made a right mess of yourself."

He looked a little closer at her cheek. "That looks like it's going to burst under the pressure. Let's get some ice for it." He then summoned some ice and wrapped it in a washcloth. He went to hand it to her and realized she had no way of holding it to her face.

"Thanks Draco," she whispered as he gently held it to her wound.

"It's the least I can do. Father explained the situation to me, so if you're willing to go through all this, the least I can do is hold some ice to your face." He smiled again. "Was it at least a good game?"

"Was too bloody cold."

"I bet. What happened?"

"Not sure. The last thing I remember was thinking I wished we were playing football; then the team would be warmer."

"How come we always block out the most interesting parts when we get hurt?"

"No clue."

"So I guess I have you around to bother full time."

"I can't use magic, and Lucius won't put me back in my room," she complained.

"Does he snore that bad?" Draco asked. 

Ginny looked puzzled.

"The last time I remember Mother in Father's bed, I was about seven. There has to be a reason his wives don't want to sleep in his bed."

"No, I don't think so. It's just sleeping with someone is so personal," she explained.

"But having sex and orgasms is impersonal?"

Ginny turned bright red. "How would you know?"

"I've been walking down the hall at the wrong time. You're quite the little screamer!"

  
  
  



	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**Bedding Down**

Ginny watched as the aide pierced her skin with the needle and then pushed Muggle drugs into her blood. "This will make you sleepy. Your husband has a room set up for me, so if you need more just call."

Ginny nodded. "Thank you, Stella."

The older woman smiled at Ginny. "What you're trying to do is very admirable."

Ginny gave a weak smile. "Thanks."

"Get some sleep," the aide said as the bedroom door opened.

Lucius looked in at his young wife. She looked like a rainbow of colour in his bed. Her red hair, her purple bruises, and the yellow nightshirt she wore against the stark white bedsheets and blue duvet.

Stella the aide looked up and smiled at him. "Mrs. Malfoy should be falling asleep pretty quickly now."

Lucius nodded.

"Good night, Ginny." Stella then excused herself.

Once the door closed behind the woman, Lucius asked, "How are you feeling?"

Ginny gave him a goofy grin. "I'm ooookay."

Lucius smiled; the drugs had clearly taken effect. "Alright, I'll be back in in a few minutes." Ginny nodded as Lucius headed into the bathroom.

When Lucius returned, Ginny was sleeping. As he stood there looking at her, he was finally hit with the fact that today's events could have ended far worse. He couldn't help but see how much this was like the events of Narcissa's death. Both women had been doing something they loved, but unlike Narcissa, Ginny fell the right way and didn't kill herself.

Lucius was amazed at the personal sacrifices she was willing to make. He knew he could never do the same thing. He thought about the fact that since Ginevra's birthday, she was living her life for everyone else. It really wasn't fair that she had to give up on her dreams. He even thought about the fact that for her it didn't matter that Voldemort was dead and most Death Eaters were in prison; her faith was the same. Married to a man she did not love, used as a sex toy, and now bearing his child. Lucius hated to admit it to himself, but over the last few months he had been selfish in the demands he placed on her.

Yes, she had proven herself to be an asset at functions, but what did she get in return? One trip to Russia wasn't much. Now she was giving up a year of her life, all in bed yet! As Lucius gazed at her, he made a decision; he would do everything in his power to have Ginevra fall in love with him! And, as of now, he would treat her as his partner!

Lucius himself believed love, or being in love, was something only women felt. He knew he loved Draco and he loved Narcissa, but the earth-shattering love women talked about wasn't something he had ever felt. He could always tell the difference between his love for Draco and for Narcissa; he would do anything for his son, but Narcissa was different. She had been a friend, but that was all, and given the choice between the two, Draco would have won every time without a second thought.

He then thought of the child Ginny was carrying. He could tell he felt the same feelings he had for Draco before he arrived, but Lucius was also trying not to get attached to it. Ginevra had the right to change her mind about this at any second, and right now no one could blame her if she did.

Lucius then realized that there had been no Floo call from the Weasleys! Did they not know? Or did they not care? He thought about placing a Floo call or sending an Owl to them himself, but he was unsure of what was happening between Ginevra and them. He chose to wait and see if she asked him to send them word.

Lucius carefully climbed into bed so as not to move the bed and jar Ginny's body. He chose to lay close to her so he would feel if she woke in the night.

Hours later, Lucius was woken up by the feeling of his hand trembling. It had been resting on Ginny's stomach, and she was sobbing. "Ginevra? What's wrong?"

"It- it h-u-r-t-s!" she managed. Her teeth were chattering due to the pain she was in.

Lucius instantly summoned the aide. As the light in the room came on, he soothed her, "She will be here in a second."

Ginny just nodded.

Lucius looked at Ginny and felt his anger grow.

When Stella arrived, she already had a needle filled. "Mrs. Malfoy, here you go." After shooting the drug into Ginny's blood, she said calmly, "You should feel it very quickly. Can I get you anything else?"

Ginny shook her head.

"Why was her pain allowed to get so bad?" Lucius barked.

"It's Muggle medicine; there are too many variables to know exactly when it will wear off."

"I do not want to see my wife in this kind of pain again!"

Stella then shocked Lucius; she didn't back down. "Mr. Malfoy, if you had been sleeping lighter you would have realized she was in pain long before it got this bad." She then turned to Ginny, "Dear, you need to let us know as soon as you start feeling uncomfortable. DON'T wait until it’s hurting."

"Yes," was all Ginny said.

"Do you need anything else?"

Ginny whispered, "No thank you."

"Alright, try to get some more sleep." Stella smiled at her.

"Thank you," Ginny whispered as the pain meds began to take effect.

Lucius followed Stella out of the room. "How dare you speak to me like that!" he growled.

"I am paid to care for your wife, not to sugar coat things for you. Fact of the matter is, had I been in the room I would have been able to see her pain level rising."

"Yes, but Ginevra wouldn't sleep with someone watching her all night," Lucius retorted.

"Well then, as I said, you must sleep lighter and be more in tune with your wife."

Two days later, Ginny had a visitor; Headmistress MacGonagall.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. She was sitting in the chair that Stella used during the daytime.

"I'm sore, very sore." Ginny downplayed the pain she was in.

"I feel I have to check, but is Lucius forcing you to do this?"

"I understand your concern, but no, Lucius is  not ."

The older woman nodded. "Everyone is very worried about you. We aren't allowed to tell the staff or students much of anything."

"I know. Draco explained that to me," Ginny lamented.

"Ginny, not only did I come to check on how you're doing, but I know how much finishing your schooling means to you. Professor Wood and I have talked about it, and there should be no reason you can't still learn the theory. Then after the baby arrives, we would arrange the practical testing."

Ginny's eyebrows rose with interest. "How?"

"Professor Wood said he would be willing to come here and work with you, giving lectures and oral tests."

"Really?" Her face lit up even more.

Minerva rose and began to pace. "Ginevra, you don't realize it, but you aren't a normal student; you are special. You have always had very good grades and still had a healthy balance of social life and school spirit. You, at great risk to yourself, did what we teachers couldn't do last year. I feel the school owes you the chance to finish what you've started."

Ginny pondered it, and wondered how Lucius would feel about it.

"Ginevra, I think you should," came Lucius' voice from the doorway. "Nine months with nothing to do will be very dull."

"Really?" Ginny asked. She then turned her attention to Headmistress MacGonagall. "I don't want to inconvenience anyone."

Lucius cleared his throat to get Ginny's attention. Without words, he let her know he was leaving.

"Professor Wood offered. I will set things up and Owl you with details of when you can expect him. You may have to wait till next May to take your NEWT.s, but really, with a baby you will be busy. Ginny, are you positive about this?"

"Lucius keeps asking the same thing. Yes, this is the right thing for us. Once the baby is here, everything will get back to normal."

The older woman looked at Ginny with a mixture of emotions. Part of her was proud of the young woman before her and part of her was sad that this strong, independent young woman was stopping her life for everyone else.

Ginny bit her lip. "Professor, er, Headmistress, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

"I don't - I haven't heard from Mum since school started. I don't want to ask anything of Lucius. I already feel like a child around him."

The older woman was shocked to hear Molly Weasley had gone so long without hearing from her daughter, but she focused on Ginny's husband first. "Is he mistreating you?"

"No, no, not at all, Professor! I just, I'm scared. The bond; I can't have sex now, so are we both going to die?"

"No!" Minerva was shocked this was Ginny's question, but at the same time she realized most girls get married and have time before getting pregnant, and don't end up on total bed rest because of it. "You know, there are some things we can't explain about magic. This is one of them. I think the baby, or the baby's magic, or part of it, is the father's, and while the baby is in you, you don't have to engage in se- marital duties." Sex education wasn't part of the Hogwarts curriculum, and she was a bit embarrassed!


End file.
